FBEA FINAL REPORT Vol II.doc

Volume II

First Phase – Diagnosis and Evaluation Introduction Utilizing information from site reports, additional document reviews, team discussions, and subsequent interviews and meetings with knowledgeable persons, the F/BEA team prepared a consolidated matrix of findings/conclusions related to: 1) weaknesses/gaps in activities (design, implementation and/or monitoring), including those that cause increased negative impacts to environments of tropical forest ecosystems, 2) observed measures being taken to correct those weaknesses, and 3) additional suggested measures to strengthen performance. The information in this matrix served to confirm, adjust and expand on information from the completed survey questionnaires. Subsequently, using a uniform format and common guidelines, each team member prepared a comprehensive technical report focused on his/her particular specialty. These technical reports and their respective summaries are included in this part of the report.

The aforementioned matrix, located in the following pages, identifies a number of problems and gaps in activity design and/or implementation that may cause significant negative impacts on the environments of tropical forest and associated ecosystems or may limit the level of expected positive environmental impacts from activity implementation. These were identified during field visits and interviews.

Of special concern are gaps in design and/or implementation of measures to avoid/mitigate significant exacerbation of impacts already occurring from existing threats. Such exacerbations most often blossom into significance due to the build-up of synergistic and/or cumulative secondary (e.g., off-site or indirect) effects of a number of activities being implemented within a naturally interconnected geographical area (such as a watershed or sub-watershed). For this reason, impact exacerbations often are overlooked in activity design.

The referenced matrix also presents a number of corrective measures suggested by the assessment team for consideration by activity managers. Many of these suggested corrective measures can be incorporated into existing activities, while others require design parameters that embrace the entire area of significant off-site impacts.

Consolidated Matrix of Findings that limit Environmental Results and Recommended Mitigation Measures

PROBLEMAS/

VACIOS

OPERADOR

PRINCIPAL

A. TRANSVERSALES

· Informar, difundir y capacitar a los operadores y subcontratistas, a los técnicos de campo, beneficiarios y otros actores relevantes en cuanto a los alcances de las regulaciones.

USAID

WWF-CEDEFOR

TNC

TNC

USAID

TNC-PN

FM

FM

USAID

FM-CIMA

· Asesoramiento ambiental permanente a través de profesional/es integrados a los equipos.

· Informar, difundir y capacitar a los operadores y subcontratistas, a los técnicos de campo, beneficiarios y otros actores relevantes en cuanto a los alcances de las regulaciones.

USAID

PRA

PDAP

· Ajustar intervenciones al marco legal vigente.

· Considerar enfoque de cuencas y capacidad de uso de suelos (zonificación)

USAID

PDAP

PRA

WWF-CEDEFOR

· Incorporar el sistema de monitoreo en la gestión integral de la concesión.

· Capacitación a los concesionarios y sus trabajadores

· Definición de estándares y fortalecimiento del sistema de monitoreo

· Estudiar la viabilidad de establecer de manera mandatoria sistemas de monitoreo de impactos en relación con diferentes modalidades de aprovechamiento

· Promover mecanismos de monitoreo independiente.

Concesionarios

WWF-CEDEFOR

USAID

INRENA

· Sistema de monitoreo biológico y de amenazas en proceso

TNC

PN

CDC

PN

CDC

· Construcción de línea de base

· Plan Maestro elaborado de manera participativa y en proceso de aprobación FM-CIMA y sus socios

· Chemonics PDAP cuenta con un sistema diseñado y en proceso de validación, que incorpora actividades del PRA

TNC

FM

PRA

PRA

PRA

TNC

TNC

TNC

FM

FM

FM

PRAplus

PDAP

· Diversificación de donantes (incluyendo diseño de nuevos proyectos)

TNC

FM

· Promover cultura de aprendizaje en las organizaciones operadoras y establecer mecanismos que la permitan tanto a nivel institucional, a nivel de intervención y a nivel de sitio.

· Realizar caracterización de actores locales e identificar a los emprendedores y el escenario en el que se va actuar

WWF-CEDEFOR

PRA

PRA

PRA

TNC

FM

FM

FM-CIMA

· Respetar las instancias de decisión local legitimadas por la población como aliados estratégicos para la gestión de la intervención.

· Promover flujos de comunicación entre actores

· Coordinación entre instituciones operadoras que trabajan en un mismo ámbito para evitar recarga en población local

TNC-PN

INRENA

· Seguir promoviendo actividades de planificación participativa.

WWF-CEDEFOR

TNC-PN

PRA

· Acuerdos Azules

· Algunas pequeñas acciones en medios de comunicación local

· Poner en ejecución la Estrategia de Comunicación FM-CIMA y sus socios

Concesionarios

Concesionarios

· Incorporar las variables sociales y ambientales en los planes de negocio desde una perspectiva de costo-beneficio

· Capacitar en la incorporación de dichas variables

PRA

· Reforzar consideraciones de mercado y cadenas productivas.

PN

· Saneamiento físico legal de la tenencia de la tierra.

PRA

Gobiernos Regionales

Gobiernos Locales

PRA

B. TEMATICA FORESTAL

Operador USAID

Definir estándares de lo que se debe monitorear

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

Concesionario

WWF-CEDEFOR

Concesionario

· Capacitar al personal técnico y de campo

· Claves de identificación del producto transformado

· Capacitar al personal responsable de control y supervisión

WWF-CEDEFOR

INRENA

Concesionario

6. Demoras en la aprobación de PGMF y POAs de parte INRENA

· Descentralizar la aprobación de PGMF a partir del fortalecimiento de las capacidades técnicas y administrativas regionales

MINAG

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

· Capacitación en curso para fortalecer las capacidades empresariales

INRENA

· Con asistencia técnica en la gestión de concesiones

· Establecimiento de CGB

· Los operativos de intervención y decomiso

· Establecimiento de la CMLTI de Lucha contra la Tala Ilegal

· Alianzas con sector empresarial responsable y mercados

WWF-CEDEFOR

Otros operadores de USAID

· Reconocer formalmente a los CGB

· Fortalecer capacidades de los Comités de Gestión y de sus miembros

· Asesoría legal permanente a los CGB

· Analizar la pertinencia de las Unidades de Gestión de Bosques

· Agilizar los procesos de aprobación de PGMF y POA

· Articular los esfuerzos de control y de intervención

· Capacitar a los órganos responsables de control y sanción.

· Difundir información sobre las implicancias de la tala ilegal

· Difundir información acerca de los corredores de madera ilegal (IRG/STEM-TMA)

· Sistemas de monitoreo independiente aplicado a diferentes niveles

· Aumentar flujo de información sobre supervisión y control de la actividad forestal a lo largo de la cadena productiva

WWF-CEDEFOR

Otros operadores de USAID

CMLTI

· Alianzas con sector empresarial responsable y mercados

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local

· Asesoramiento técnico en planes de manejo forestal con comunidades nativas

· Alianzas con sector empresarial responsable y mercados

· Comités de Apoyo al PNCAz

INRENA

PETT

INACC

Concesionarios

Grupos humanos asentados

· Continuar saneamiento

· Continuar procesos de compensación

· Identificar casos de superposición donde no hay registro de derechos

· Mantener el catastro de concesiones forestales

· Creacion de Registros Nacional de Concesiones Forestales

· Permitir acceso a información cartográfica actualizada en las ATFFS.

· Reforzar mecanismos de control social para prevenir invasiones (CGB)

· Promover otras formas de ordenamiento forestal

· Evaluar la factibilidad de excluir los BPP del ámbito del catastro minero

INRENA

PETT

INACC

PCM

C. TEMATICAS DE BIODIVERSIDAD

· EIA

· Diagnóstico y mapeo socioeconómico y ecológico para identificar impactos en marcha

PRA

· PGMF incorpora consideraciones sobre la caza

PRA

Concesionarios

· Informar y capacitar al personal de la concesión sobre fauna amenazada en cada ámbito de intervención.

· Monitorear el cumplimiento del PGMF al respecto.

PRA

Concesionarios

TNC

· Apoyo directo a la Administración de áreas protegidas

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local y comités de apoyo locales

· Planes de manejo de recursos en áreas críticas (PICD de TNC/PN y Acuerdos Azules FM-CIMA)

· Apoyo a grupos de productores

TNC

PN

INRENA

· Reforzar las capacidades técnicas y operativas de las ANP

· Aprobar planes de manejo de recursos

· Reforzar enfoque empresarial y de mercado de los planes de manejo.

· Sistematizar experiencias sobre reducción de sobreexplotación y difundirlas

· Poner en práctica sistema de monitoreo biológico y de amenazas

TNC-PN

INRENA

Comités de vigilancia

Grupos de productores

CIMA

INRENA

INRENA

Comités de vigilancia

Grupos de productores

· Uso de motores de baja potencia

TNC-PN

INRENA

· Monitorear cumplimiento de disposiciones

· Aumentar la difusión de métodos más allá de áreas críticas

· Apoyo a adquisición de aparejos “amigables”

TNC-PN

INRENA

Otras autoridades competentes

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local

· Planes de manejo de recursos en áreas críticas (PICD de TNC/PN y Acuerdos Azules FM-CIMA)

· Campañas de sensibilización

TNC-PN

INRENA

· Reforzar las capacidades técnicas y operativas de las ANP

· Aprobar planes de manejo de recursos

· Reforzar enfoque empresarial y de mercado de los planes de manejo.

· Poner en práctica sistema de monitoreo biológico y de amenazas

· Difundir información sobre las implicancias de la caza/pesca/extracción ilegal

TNC-PN

INRENA

Poblaciones locales

PNP

Fiscalía

Otras autoridades competentes

FM

FM

CIMA

INRENA

FM-CIMA

INRENA

Poblaciones locales

PNP

Fiscalía

Otras autoridades competentes

· Desarrollo de especies forestales poco conocidas

· Alianzas con sector empresarial responsable y mercados

· Acompañamiento a proceso CITES

WWF-CEDEFOR

Empresas responsables socias

Autoridades CITES

· Dotar al INRENA, Capitanías de Puertos, Aduanas, y otras agencias responsables de los recursos humanos, técnicos y operativos para el cumplimiento de sus labores de supervisión y control

· Establecer acuerdo bilaterales y multilaterales sobre el comercio de fauna y flora silvestres, y recursos hidrobiológicos

· Establecer sistemas independientes de monitoreo

· Adecuar Sistema de Información Estratégica Forestal (SIEF) a recursos forestales no maderables y de fauna silvestre

· Establecer nodos de información en tiempo real en lugares estratégicos

INRENA

Ministerio del Interior

Relaciones Exteriores

Otros sectores y agencias relevantes

Poblaciones locales

Autoridades CITES

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local

· Campañas de sensibilización

TNC

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local

· Campañas de sensibilización

FM

Concesionarios

INRENA

· Rotaciones forestales

· Recuperación del bosque a través de manejo de regeneración

· Apoyo a CGB

· Parcelas de monitoreo

· Transferencia de técnicas de aprovechamiento de bajo impacto

WWF-CEDEFOR

CGB

Gobiernos locales

Concesionarios

· Aplicación de normas sobre titulación y capacidad de uso de los suelos.

· Auditorías de concesiones (anuales y quinquenales) con énfasis a cambio de uso.

· Zonificación ecológica económica a nivel de cuencas.

· Establecer sistema y protocolos sobre monitoreo en concesiones y unidades de gestión de bosques

INRENA

Concesionarios

CGB

Gobiernos locales

· Planes de manejo de recursos en zonas críticas –(PICD de TNC/PN y Acuerdos Azules FM-CIMA) + Acuerdos Azules

· Establecimiento de sistemas agroforestales

· Protección de hábitats críticos

· Apoyo a comités de vigilancia local

· Campañas de sensibilización

TNC

PN

INRENA

Gobiernos locales

PETT

Pobladores locales Organizaciones locales

· Participar en procesos de regionales y locales de ordenamiento territorial

· Monitorear cambio de uso y condición de los ecosistemas

· Reforzar uso de técnicas de aprovechamiento y prácticas culturales de bajo impacto

· Establecer balance entre técnicas de bajo impacto y prácticas culturales y el enfoque de negocio

· Capacitar a personal de ANP y pobladores locales en técnicas de monitoreo

· Establecimiento de Áreas de Conservación regionales y locales

· Reducir incentivos perversos o contraproducentes

· Recuperar y diseminar conocimiento y prácticas tradicionales

TNC

PN

INRENA

Gobiernos locales

PETT

Pobladores locales Organizaciones locales

Centros de investigación (IIAP, CIFOR-ICRAF, etc.)

FM

FM

CIMA

INRENA

Gobiernos locales

PETT

Pobladores locales Organizaciones locales

FM – CIMA y socios locales

INRENA

Gobiernos locales

PETT

Pobladores locales Organizaciones locales

Centros de investigación (IIAP, CIFOR-ICRAF)

USAID

· Continuar labores de recuperación y mitigación

· Monitoreo de la actividad

· Monitoreo de los vertidos y efecto en “mijano” (migración de peces)

INRENA

MEM

PRODUCE

FM-CIMA

· Promover la incorporación de acciones de gestión ambiental en los planes de negocios

PRA

Concesionarios

INRENA

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

INRENA

MINAG

· No introducir especies exóticas potencialmente invasoras.

· Propuestas de introducción de especies exóticas debe tener en cuenta lineamientos sobre la introducción de especies exóticas

PRA

USAID

INRENA

MINAG

PRODUCE

· No fomentar cultivos altamente demandantes de agroquímicos.

· Propiciar control biológico y certificación orgánica.

· Reducir monocultivo

PRA

MINAG

MINSA

INRENA

· Informar y capacitar a concesionarios en el manejo de químicos.

· Asegurar que las recomendaciones se apliquen.

· Ampliar el número de planes de manejo con consideraciones en cuanto a uso de químicos.

· Cuando sea pertinente, extender exigencias sobre uso de químicos hacia las plantas de transformación.

WWF-CEDEFOR

INRENA

Grupos de productores

· Informar y capacitar a productores sobre prácticas culturales y de producción que reducen la incidencia de patógenos.

· Incorporar medidas en planes de manejo de recursos.

TNC

Grupos de productores

INRENA

· Adoptar política (en el marco de los Acuerdos Azules( y difundirla.

· Informar y capacitar a pobladores locales.

FM-CIMA

Concesionarios

· Informar y capacitar a los agricultores y concesionarios en el manejo de residuos.

· Asegurar que las recomendaciones se apliquen.

· Ampliar el número de planes de manejo con consideraciones en cuanto a disposición de desechos.

· Cuando sea pertinente, extender exigencias sobre disposición de desechos hacia las plantas de transformación.

PRA

WWF-CEDEFOR

PRA

capacitación a organizaciones de ecoturismo

TNC

INRENA

· Informar y capacitar a los agricultores y concesionarios en el manejo de residuos.

· Campañas de recolección de residuos.

INRENA

TNC

INRENA

· Asegurar que las recomendaciones se apliquen.

· Ampliar el número de PMF con consideraciones en cuanto a la calidad del aire.

· Cuando sea pertinente, extender exigencias sobre calidad del aire hacia las plantas de transformación.

Concesionarios

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

· Promueve otras modalidades de ordenamiento forestal complementario a concesiones (bosques locales)

· Integrar los conjuntos de concesiones forestales en el contexto de las cuencas hidrográficas y a escala regional.

· Establecer áreas de conservación de carácter regional y local.

Gobiernos regionales y locales.

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

CGB

Otros sectores competentes

· Ajustar intervenciones al marco legal vigente sobre capacidad de uso de los suelos.

· Considerar enfoque de cuencas y capacidad de uso de suelos (zonificación)

USAID

PDAP

PRA

· Diseño de caminos forestales.

INRENA

WWF-CEDEFOR

Concesionarios y CGB

Otros sectores competentes

· Zonificación e integración a escala de cuenca.

· Fortalecimiento de los comités de gestión de bosque como base para la creación de una instancia de gestión de cuenca.

· Promover otras modalidades de ordenamiento forestal (bosques locales)

· Promover áreas de conservación regionales y locales

· Establecer redes integradas de estaciones de aforo.

· Monitorear cumplimiento de los PGMF al respecto.

· Gobiernos regionales y locales

· INRENA

· WWF-CEDEFOR

· Concesionarios

· CGB

· Otros sectores competentes

· Diseño de caminos forestales.

INRENA

PRA

Concesionarios

· Zonificación e integración a escala de cuenca.

· Promover otras modalidades de ordenamiento forestal (bosques locales)

· Monitorear cumplimiento de los PGMF al respecto.

· Considerar negocios basados en servicios ambientales.

INRENA

Centros de investigación

Section 1. Forestry Specialist Technical Report and Summary Summary of the Forestry Specialist Technical Report

This report is focused on impacts related to forest management of the partners financed by USAID in the Peruvian Amazon. As such, it differs from the usual concept of an environmental impact evaluation. It contains no physical evaluation of the area of influence as a whole, nor is any attempt made to generate baseline information on the whole area. The report concentrates upon defining negative impacts or problems related to the interventions and therefore has made possible detection of present or future impact associated with the interventions.

Among the principal environmental problems encountered in relation to the forestry component of the analyzed interventions are:

· Lack of an integrated overview in managing the environmental component in the case of some interventions.

· Heterogeneous treatment of the environmental component of the interventions.

· Cumulative environmental impacts in the interventions.

· Deficiency of baseline information for environmental management and adequacy.

· Weak environmental monitoring of the interventions.

Threats with external environmental implications have been identified with relation to the interventions: invasive illegal logging in forest concessions and protected areas (PA); conflicts due to the overlap of forest concessions with agriculture and mining activities; destruction of natural habitats by invasion of settlers or migratory agriculture in PA and buffer zones.

As well as problems with environmental implications or internal environmental impacts generated by the interventions themselves: there is a relevant problem in the original design of some of the interventions (or in the nature of the organization and action of the implementing organization) that reveals serious gaps in regard to GOP/USG environmental regulations, in particular those related to land capability, land-use planning and the protection of flora and fauna. Likewise, deficiencies have been noted in the evaluations or baseline data which form the axis for environmental adequacy or management, in particular the data concerning biodiversity; in addition to, the weakness follow-up actions on environmental impacts generated by the interventions.

With regard to large-scale direct impacts generated by the interventions:

· Potential impact on biodiversity. Elements of flora and fauna, in particular rare or singular species, are being wiped-out as a consequence of the forest concessions process being supported by WWF-CEDEFOR and Chemonics-PRA, which, due to its scale of operations, is more significant in the case of the first-named implementer.

· Potential fragmentation of the forest. There are cases in which there are gaps in the forest that are not part of the forest concession. These spaces are considered to be protection lands according to their use-capability. In an overall sense, these patches of protection forests are being fragmented areas that are difficult to control and protect.

· Possible impacts in terms of the hydrologic regime in the watersheds. Although up to the present there is no evidence of impact in this regard, the impact of combined forestry activities in all of the concessions within a given watershed, operating simultaneously and at full intensity, may be expected to generate negative changes in its hydrologic regime, such as unforeseen fluctuations in river flows, flash-flooding and landslides in sensitive areas.

With regard to direct impact at local-scale, the following should be noted:

· Weak treatment of potential impacts on wildlife and poaching in forest concessions. Prevention of poaching is still in its early stages. While the problem is aggravated by the custom of hunting practiced by concessions workers. Furthermore, the areas with singular biodiversity have not been defined, nor are there specific procedures for avoiding depredation of endangered species or their critical physical locations.

· Lack of environmental management related to new or upgraded highways. The opening of roads and highways in areas adjacent to the PA’s continues and is not preceded or accompanied by environmental assessments or efforts adequacy, related to these roads.

· Lack of health, environment and safety (HSE) plans for forest concession operations. One noticeable deficiency at documentary level in the General Forestry Management Plans (GFMP), as well as in the field, is the lack of appropriate planning and implementation of preventive HSE actions and monitoring, moreover considering that most of these interventions take place in remote zones.

· Concessionaires and their workers show little internalization and understanding of the central concepts and actions of forest management. The GFMP’s contain concepts of some complexity which are not fully understood by the concessionaires and less still by their field workers.

· Lack of emphasis on the centralization and integration of information generated in the forest concessions. Advantage has not been taken of the chance to centralize and exchange technical information generated in the permanent monitoring plots or silvicultural information, which is beginning to emerge within the concessions.

The following is a summary of mitigating measures of the above-mentioned impacts:

· Identification and continuous monitoring of areas with rare or unique biological content; training of concessionaires and their workers concerning the importance of measures needed to protect fauna that may be in a critical situation.

· Environmental management in relation to new roads or those that are starting to become more intensively used.

· Design and implementation of strict policies concerning health and working safety.

· Emphasize the interaction between the implementing organization and the concessionaires, reinforce permanent training in these aspects and carry out follow-up of the training results.

· Design and develop, in coordination with other institutions, an agreed system that will permit supervision, monitoring, centralization, systematization, analysis, dissemination/free access to the information generated in the permanent monitoring plots and other research activities in reforestation or forest management in the concessions.

All the environmental problems and impacts detected are capable of being mitigated or corrected if properly tackled at the right time. However, there are some which call for urgent solution:

· The interventions must take into account the use-capability of the soils, land use planning (according to capability) and the ordering of all actions in the framework of the hydrological unit: the watershed.

· Reinforce the baseline with regard to biodiversity in order to define with precision many of the potential impacts on species in flora and fauna.

· Interventions must respect GOP environmental regulations.

· Treatment of environmental problems by the implementing organization must be homogeneous and in line with agreed procedures.

· Support the strengthening of the Forest Management Committees, not only because they take part in the control and surveillance of illegal logging, but also because they constitute the seed organization for watershed management.

Section 2. Summary of the Biodiversity conservation and Critical Habitat preservation Specialist Technical Report

Summary of the Biodiversity conservation and Critical Habitat preservation Specialist Technical Report

This report is developed from the viewpoint of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with emphasis on protected areas and integrated conservation and development projects, which are implemented in the area of the F/BEA.

The approach to sustainability – understood as the balance between the health of the ecosystems and the well-being of the population – is interpreted and incorporated in the practices of the F/BEA implementing organizations in different ways and with different emphasis, depending upon the respective institutional missions and contractual commitments.

On the other hand, the interventions of Chemonics-PRA are located at the “development” end of the spectrum, which is not necessarily a negative position vis-à-vis the environment, to the extent to which certain basic environmental management principles are respected. While the rest of the implementing organizations operate in the ambiguous manner of the Integrated Conservation and Development Projects, within or around protected areas, with little relation to the magnitude of the threats they intend to counteract, through replication, and competing with the socio-economic context in which they are immersed. These are processes that demand a high level of commitment, confidence, flexibility and will-to-learn on the part of all stakeholders, which the donor agencies – and in this case USAID – must support in a sustained fashion.

There are two issues which are of concern in the context of all interventions:

1. Insufficient systematization of experiences, or learning culture, not only as part of the project but as part of an internal policy of the responsible organization. All interventions should have monitoring and evaluation systems, to which end there is a need for a revision of planning instruments at all levels.

2. There is almost no coordination or cooperation among implementing organization tools and interventions (even in the same geographic areas). This is a key requirement for achieving an adequate complementary relationship between approaches and expertise, and it requires decisive leadership by USAID. Coordination and cooperation must be one of the criteria for evaluating the performance of the implementers.

The F/BEA team also identified two critical cross-cutting aspects among the main environmental threats:

· Risk of conflict between land-use capability and present use (infraction of legal provisions). In the case of agricultural, livestock and forestry activities developed by Chemonics-PRA, the application of the relevant land-use regulations is considered to be crucial, in order to obtain the maximum social and economic benefit without degrading the soil and other natural resources. Likewise, the protected area planning exercises carried out by the other implementers should be articulated with current processes of land-use planning, giving priority to the watershed and conservation corridors approaches.

· Lack or weak monitoring of environmental protection measures.

From the specialized point of view, we present the most important mitigation measures, suggested in accordance with the environmental threats identified in the areas of influence of the different interventions according to a particular implementing organization (please refer to Specialist Technical Report, Table No. 9), some of which are referred to in the following analysis.

In the case of the Chemonics-PRA project, special mention must be made of the introduction of exotic species that are potential invaders. Peruvian legislation prohibits the introduction of exotic species of wild plants or animals without the authorization of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the purpose to safeguarding compliance with the regulations on bio-security and genetic resources, applying the precautionary principle in the various interventions.

In spite of progress in the planning process methodology of protected areas – identifying objectives of conservation, design of programs and subprograms and in systems for management evaluation – there’s still limitations which affect the future implementation of the protected areas and the assessment of progress toward biodiversity conservation. These limitations in planning and subsequent application are due in part to the pressure to implement new management approaches in the areas (e.g. participatory management, emphasis on work in buffer zones), without a serious analysis of the short and medium term repercussion on the viability of the management carried out by the governmental agencies.

The interventions linked to support forest concessions are based upon the principles of sustainable forest management (SFM), in accordance with existing legal regulations. Both WWF-CEDEFOR and the Chemonics-PRA project, on a smaller scale, are providing significant inputs. Nevertheless, from the viewpoint of SFM’s impact on conservation of forest resources, efforts to monitor the development of the forest in response to management (e.g. permanent monitoring plots) fell short of the required level. At the present time, monitoring is not considered an element in concession management and the costs of monitoring are not assumed by the concessionaire. Moreover, since the application of the concessions regime and the forest management is very recent, it has to fight against long-standing and deeply-rooted practices dating from decades ago. Consequently, neither the governmental agencies nor the entrepreneurs are familiar with methods of control and supervision.

It should be pointed out how important is the development of little-known species for the progress of the forest transformation industry as well as that of the primary production sector, for the conservation of traditional timber species that are generally submitted to high degrees of selective harvesting and finally, to enhance productive forests’ value. At present, WWF-OPP is developing some important efforts in this direction. However, the investment in this initiative is marginal compared with the cost of technological lists, and with the magnitude of its repercussion in the forestry sector and in the conservation of threatened species.

The following are some additional recommendations that are considered relevant:

· Support for the establishment and operation of one or more systems of biological monitoring which would include variables related to changes in soil, deforestation, erosion and water-quality.

· Support for ecological economic zoning exercises in the respective areas of influence.

· Subordination of the interventions to the national legal framework, particularly with regard to land-use capability and the training of implementing organizations and their associates’ personnel in those matters.

· Definition of the competent authority for the Alternative Development Program (ADP); subordinating rules and procedures concerning environmental impact to the national legislation, and training implementing organizations and their associates’ personnel.

· Application of a policy of transparency at all levels. Improvement of access to information at local level in the areas of integrated conservation and development projects.

· USAID should promote the development of business incubators in the forest sector, which will permit creation of forestry enterprises with environmental awareness and responsibility demanding for products under forest management. Reinforcement of themes of applied research in the production sector on new forest species, and the training of artisan-entrepreneurs (on the basis of “emprendedores”), using the competitive approach. Chemonics-PRA could lead this effort in coordination with the associations of forestry producers.

· Increase funding for infrastructure and operations for control and surveillance in protected areas. Explore the establishment of trust funds for this purpose.

· Support the establishment of regional and local protected areas, also the application of methods of forestry planning as a complement to forest concessions.

· Encourage initiatives aimed at recognition of the true value of environmental services, which at the present time is its early stages and receives little recognition from beneficiary groups.

Section 3. Summary of the Economic of Natural Resources Specialist Technical Report

Summary of the Economic of Natural Resources Specialist Technical Report

The purpose of the economic analysis in the environmental assessment is to evaluate - in terms of costs and benefits (of the investment) - the intervention or strategy to mitigate environmental threats that affect tropical forests and associated biodiversity areas. In other words, to evaluate the extent to which the benefits generated by the mitigation measures of the project funded by USAID, expressed as controlling, preventing or reversing impacts and/or resources of pressure on the forest, exceed the costs of implementing such measures.

In terms of the natural resources economy, the benefit of mitigating the environmental threats on forest’s conservation objects, means preventing deterioration of the quality and reduction of the availability of resources required for meeting society’s expectations of development. This implicates evaluating the extent to which the project’s intervention affects sustainable management of natural resources and, additionally, the degree to which the mitigation measures considered for dealing with the threats have been evaluated in terms of efficiency.

In this connection and in general terms, it has become evident that the interventions lack of a monitoring system for environmental threats and that the corresponding mitigation measures implemented are not based on a cost-benefit analysis.

This evaluation has identified the following specific environmental threats, within the framework of the F/BEA and the areas of influence of such interventions, as well as the ways in which they are being mitigated by the interventions:

· Loss of tree cover and fragmentation of habitat due to migratory agriculture. With the generation of a system of incentives for market-oriented permanent crops in the buffer zone of the Cordillera Azul National Park (NP), The Field Museum (FM) faces the risk of attracting immigrants to the intervention area with the risk to continue expanding the agriculture frontier, leading to a loss of tree cover and to the fragmentation of habitats. In this way, there’s a serious threat to the park that the program is supposed to protect.

· Changes in the species community due to excessive selective extraction of:

a. Non-timber species. Although the intervention of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) through its partner in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (NR) has contributed to the recovery of certain species population, the strategy is thought to be becoming weaker by not having planned the use of the communal labor force according to criteria of economic efficiency. Also, the costs of extraction quotas are rising, while at the same time there are economic incentives offered by the illegal economy.

b. Timber species. The system of forest concessions promotes sustainable management of forests, yet there is no evidence that the interventions of WWF-CEDEFOR or of Chemonics-PRA have contributed to halting the advance of illegal logging. The concessionaires will be unable to face up to this threat until the economic viability of their concession has been demonstrated.

· Degradation of agricultural soil due to the cultivation of coca leaf. In the framework of the Alternative Development Program (ADP), Chemonics-PRA is making important efforts, through technical assistance in the areas of production and marketing techniques in the communities that have signed the Agreement of Gradual and Concerted Reduction of Coca Leaf. However, alternative crops are not developing adequate economic incentives as was expected, due to low productivity. For this reason, some farmers are considering to switch back to coca. Also, short-cycle monocultures (besides coca) have a serious impact on the soil.

· Disorderly land-settlement and resulting pressure on the forest. The productive chain promoted by the Chemonics-PRA project could be contributing indirectly to the economic substitution of coca through the demand for labor, generating poles of attraction for immigrants from other zones and new settlements.

To measure efficiency of some of the implementers, it is considered desirable to make a cost-benefit analysis in terms of the following specific mitigation measures:

· Strengthening of FM’s agroforestry activities in the buffer zone of the Cordillera Azul NP.

· Planning of the labor use in the Pacaya-Samiria NR by TNC.

· Increase access to credit mechanisms for financing forest concessionaires supported by WWF-CEDEFOR and Chemonics-PRA, as well as the production chains promoted by the latter.

· Greater investment in technical assistance for alternative crops where this can lead to sustained support to beneficiaries.

Our recommendations, from the economic standpoint, center upon regulating pressure on access to and use of the natural resources of the forest. In other words, the measures for mitigating threats will be defined in terms of restricting free access to the resources, redefining property rights (in the framework of ecological economic zoning) and planning sustainable extraction of renewable resources. This should be accompanied by the implementation of a monitoring system of environmental threats, including methodologies for quantifying environmental damage and benefits, as well as the respective cost-benefit analysis for the application of those measures.

In this regard, the following measures are considered in order to aim to stop migratory agriculture and over-exploitation and illegal extraction of natural resources:

· Emphasize the specific type of activity to be encouraged in each of the intervention sites on the basis of land-use planning and ecological economic zoning.

· Establish property rights oriented to reduce transaction costs.

· Incorporation of environmental requirements in business plans.

· Ecological certification of the intervention area of influence.

· Definition of the rights of extraction excluding participation of other agents (e.g. on the basis of the certification of products in terms of denomination of origin).

· Incorporation of business plans and a commercial strategy in the natural resource management plans.

· Establishment of mechanisms for the design, monitoring and evaluation of mitigation measures that take into account economic valuation, simulation of mitigation measures and cost-benefit analysis in the evaluation of the mitigation measures.

· System for monitoring and evaluating the effects of the mitigation measures on the availability and quality of natural resources.

Section 4. Summary of the Institutional Specialist Technical Report

Summary of the Institutional Specialist Technical Report

This report was conceived from the viewpoint of institutional, organizational and methods analysis, with regard to the interventions of the F/BEA. It describes aspects of the setting and the most significant threats encountered, which are unfavorable to the attainment of the results foreseen in the interventions, or which are hindering the correct performance of implemented activities with environmental consideration.

The most significant threats or problems in the institutional context and in the application of environmental management efforts in terms of their role in the achievement of long-term results have been prioritized as follow:

1. Lack of integral application of the GOP…