Forest Management
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
Category: Environmental
Industry Affected: Woodchipping
Proposed by: Rubina
Description: The United Nations,
AWARE of the importance of forested ecosystems;
ACKNOWLEDGING economic benefits of forest industries and products;
NOTING environmental and economic problems, such as erosion, loss of biodiversity, and declining production and value of wood products that result from over-logging and other poor forestry policies and practices;
REQUIRES the utilization of scientifically sound forestry management as developed and widely recognized by forest preservation and production organizations;
MANDATES that:
1. Commercial forest activity be undertaken only after long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources are clearly defined, documented and legally established;
2. Forest management operations maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities;
3. Forest management operations encourage efficient use of the forest’s multiple products and services to ensure economic viability, as well as environmental and social benefits;
4. Forest management operations conserve biodiversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and integrity of the forest. Such techniques include, but are not limited to:
a. avoidance of clear cutting, except where necessary as a means of conservation, regeneration or diversification,
b. incorporation of soil depletion prevention in all logging activities,
c. encouragement of diversity of native tree species, including maintenance of natural forest life-cycles
d. accommodation of threatened species in forest harvest plans, including preservation of natural habitats;
5. Management activities in high conservation value forests maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall be made with a precautionary approach. Attributes of high conservation value forests include, but are not limited to:
a. pristine or near-pristine condition
b. presence of endangered plant species,
c. habitat provision to endangered animal species
e. high value for eco-tourism;
6. Timber plantations be planned and managed in accordance with requirements of this and all other applicable UN resolutions. Plantation forests should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests;
7. A management plan--appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations--clearly stating the long-term objectives of management, and means of achieving them, shall be written, implemented, and kept up-to-date by all forest management operations;
8. Monitoring shall be conducted by an appropriate national agency--one charged with environmental responsibility--in conjunction with the World Woodland Protection Team (WWP), established under UNR#66, and other relevant agencies (e.g. UNCoESB), and will assess forest condition, product yields, products chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts;
CHARGES the WWP to serve as an educational resource, providing guidance in preservation, reforestation, sustainable forest management, and other relevant topics, in addition to its other duties;
URGES member nations to work with local populations to eliminate use of slash-and-burn agricultural practices;
ENCOURAGES adoption of no-net-deforestation policies.
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
Category: Environmental
Industry Affected: Woodchipping
Proposed by: Rubina
Description: The United Nations,
AWARE of the importance of forested ecosystems;
ACKNOWLEDGING economic benefits of forest industries and products;
NOTING environmental and economic problems, such as erosion, loss of biodiversity, and declining production and value of wood products that result from over-logging and other poor forestry policies and practices;
REQUIRES the utilization of scientifically sound forestry management as developed and widely recognized by forest preservation and production organizations;
MANDATES that:
1. Commercial forest activity be undertaken only after long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources are clearly defined, documented and legally established;
2. Forest management operations maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities;
3. Forest management operations encourage efficient use of the forest’s multiple products and services to ensure economic viability, as well as environmental and social benefits;
4. Forest management operations conserve biodiversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and integrity of the forest. Such techniques include, but are not limited to:
a. avoidance of clear cutting, except where necessary as a means of conservation, regeneration or diversification,
b. incorporation of soil depletion prevention in all logging activities,
c. encouragement of diversity of native tree species, including maintenance of natural forest life-cycles
d. accommodation of threatened species in forest harvest plans, including preservation of natural habitats;
5. Management activities in high conservation value forests maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall be made with a precautionary approach. Attributes of high conservation value forests include, but are not limited to:
a. pristine or near-pristine condition
b. presence of endangered plant species,
c. habitat provision to endangered animal species
e. high value for eco-tourism;
6. Timber plantations be planned and managed in accordance with requirements of this and all other applicable UN resolutions. Plantation forests should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests;
7. A management plan--appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations--clearly stating the long-term objectives of management, and means of achieving them, shall be written, implemented, and kept up-to-date by all forest management operations;
8. Monitoring shall be conducted by an appropriate national agency--one charged with environmental responsibility--in conjunction with the World Woodland Protection Team (WWP), established under UNR#66, and other relevant agencies (e.g. UNCoESB), and will assess forest condition, product yields, products chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts;
CHARGES the WWP to serve as an educational resource, providing guidance in preservation, reforestation, sustainable forest management, and other relevant topics, in addition to its other duties;
URGES member nations to work with local populations to eliminate use of slash-and-burn agricultural practices;
ENCOURAGES adoption of no-net-deforestation policies.
