The approach in timber harvesting in CFR TMFs in Uganda is based on reduced impact logging practices (directional felling by trained loggers, mobile sawmills, light agricultural tractors for skidding and extraction). Harvesting is done as a salvage and silvicultural operation, removing 6-8 trees/ha over a felling cycle of 30 years. Budongo Forest Project has shown that this tends to increase the variety of species (biodiversity).
Experience has also shown that this keeps staff in the forest carrying out operations like EI, ISSMI, PSP assessments, assessing and assisting natural regeneration, and the maintenance of the associated infrastructure, leading to reduced illegal harvesting and encroachments. This gives even non-trained observers evidence that the forest is being managed. Nevertheless, today, and indeed in the past, timber harvesting in natural forests has attracted controversy, punctuated with frequent bans. Experience again shows that these bans have often exacerbated the problems associated illegal timber harvesting.
Instruction 284: Harvesting of natural forests for timber production shall be based on the reduced impact logging system, which includes selective harvesting, and a felling cycle of 30 years. Harvesting equipment is limited to mobile sawmills or pitsawyers, and agricultural tractors with winching accessories. Chainsaws may be used for felling trees and crosscutting them into graded logs[1].
The considerations behind this low impact logging system as it applies to TMFs in Uganda’s CFRs include the following:
(i) In order to do its own logging, NFA trains local artisans to fell trees and crosscut them into logs according to their grades. This builds a skill in the forest dependent communities, provides contract employment, and thus enhances the goodwill of forest dependent communities (including politicians) towards the FMI.
(ii) When NFA does its own logging, it is able to promote the species which are considered low quality on the current domestic market. The different species can be grouped according to the common timber properties and sold as such. This enhances forest utilisation by enhancing access to a wider range of species.
(iii) NFA is able to demonstrate a reduced impact logging practice for managing timber production zones without compromising biodiversity values.
(iv) Trees in TMFs tend to have defects (e.g. hollowness, dieback, rot), which are not easily detected when the tree is standing. Sale of graded logs gives confidence to the clients that the logs they are buying are of the stated quality, and NFA is able to guarantee that quality.
(v) On the other hand, sale of graded logs optimises timber income since high grade logs are sold at high unit prices, while the lower grade logs are also easily sold at lower prices.
(vi) When NFA does its own logging, harvesting according to accepted standards (e.g. running metre system, recovery, directional felling) can be assured and malpractices minimised.
(vii) Graded logs will result in increased timber prices for NFA’s clients, leading to better business for them and ultimately the NFA.
(viii) NFA will be able to demonstrate post-harvesting operations like utilisation of lop and top and silvicultural operations. In the process financial and social benefits from TMFs will increase
The Logging Supervisor’s Toolkit[2] describes in detail what should be done and how it should be done. It includes who does what, pre-harvesting activities, the felling operation, cross-cutting and grading of logs, a procedure for selling the logs by public auction, and more detailed guidelines for the harvesting operation.
Instruction 285: Government FMIs shall adopt the reduced impact logging practice as described in the Supervisor’s Toolkit, and sell graded logs by public auction in line with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets law. To this end, the FMIs shall keep the procedures for marketing graded logs from natural forests updated.