Australia
The Australian Forestry Council is the result of several years of endeavor to obtain a satisfactory method of collaboration in forestry matters between the seven Australian governments.
Australia is a federation of six states. Each of the states was to a large extent independent before 1900, when they federated and gave up certain of their rights to the central government; these rights are carefully defined in the Commonwealth Constitution and, apart from these matters, the states have complete independence.
Following two years of discussion, the Commonwealth Prime Minister was able to announce in August 1964 that the Premiers of all states had agreed on the formation of an Australian Forestry Council, with stated objectives and functions by which these objectives may be achieved.
The council itself is a council of the ministers in charge of the forest services of each of the Australian states, together with appropriate Commonwealth ministers. The Commonwealth Minister for National Development, whose portfolio covers the Forestry and Timber Bureau, is ex-officio chairman. The other Commonwealth minister is the Minister for Territories. The Minister for Territories is on the council because in effect he administers some 600,000 square miles (1,296,000 square kilometers) within Australia, in addition to Commonwealth territories outside the mainland.
The Council of Ministers is supported by a standing committee of experts. The members of this committee comprise the heads of the forest services of each of the Australian states, the Director-General of the Commonwealth Forestry and Timber Bureau, the Chief of the Division of Forest Products of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and a representative of the Department of Territories. This standing committee prepares technical matters for the consideration of the ministers.
There is no direct representation of forest industries on the present council or standing committee. The reason is that the council is expected freely to discuss confidential government business which could not be discussed with representatives present of only some private forest industries.
The council has already agreed that one of the early priorities in Australian forestry must be the establishment of a considerable softwood resource, and has therefore directed the standing committee to aim toward an annual planting program of 76,000 acres (30,000 hectares), with a view to the establishment of a softwood (exotics) resource of 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) by the year 2000.
At the present time the annual rate of planting is about 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares). It has increased from 16,000 acres (6,000 hectares) in a few years and the further increase to 76,000 acres (30,000 hectares) is well within the present technical capability of the state forest services and private forest owners.
Austria
· Der Holztransport (Osterreichischer Agrarverlag, Wien, 1964, 446 p.) is the latest book by Franz Hafner, well known for his studies on forest logging and extraction, engineering and road construction. The author, who has carried out several assignments for FAO, deals with his subject in a way readily understandable by both the technician and layman, and describes and illustrates techniques and equipment recommended for use on both level and hilly ground.
Canada
· The National Research Council (Awards Officer, National Research Council, Ottawa 2) will be awarding five postdoctorate fellowships for 1966-66 in laboratories of the Department of Forestry. The annual stipend is $6,000 for both single and married fellows. Applicants need to be not more than 35 years old and should possess a Ph.D. degree from a recognized university or expect to obtain such a degree before taking up an award. There are no restrictions regarding nationality of applicants providing all Canadian immigration requirements can be met.
Finland
· Thanks to present gluing techniques, wooden beams and other structural members can be manufactured to practically any degree of massiveness. There is still, however, apt to be debate over their behavior when exposed to fire and the following experience reported in Finnish Paper and Timber is interesting.
The framework of the roof structure of a chemical factory was formed of glued and laminated wooden beams 14 x 56 centimeters span 23 meters, spaced 5 meters apart, with secondary beams of 12.6 x 16 centimeters of pressure-impregnated wood placed crosswise on them.
Early this year a fire started outside the factory but ignited the wood-wool slabs used as roof insulation and spread into the building and across the whole roof. It was three or four hours before the fire was brought under control. Afterward it was found that the laminated beams had no deflection, that the destruction in the surface layer of the most severely damaged beams was only 2.6 centimeters deep, and the edges were rounded.
As the beams had thus proved their endurance to fire, on the day following the factory ordered similar beams to replace the charred ones.
Germany, Federal Republic of
· An enterprising airline organizes package tours for foresters from Canada and the United States of America to Europe which appear to be well patronized. The Conservation and Forest Care Tour affords an opportunity for study of classical forest management in Germany, man-made forests on agricultural land in Denmark, avalanche and watershed control in Austria, and water management in Italy. Sightseeing programs are arranged for accompanying wives. Another, the Forests and Forest Products Study Tour gives participants the chance for on-the-spot examination of the methods and operations employed in all phases of the forest industries in central Europe, Scandinavia and Finland.
· In October 1963, the new Forest History Section of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) held an inaugural meeting in Freiburg under the chairmanship of Professor K. Mantel. A related development of interest in the United States was the move and affiliation in July 1964 of the Forest History Society, Inc. to the Yale University School of Forestry. The Forest History Society formed in 1946 within the Minnesota Historical Society, was originally concerned with the history of lumbering in the Great Lakes region. It has since expanded its interests to cover the whole field of forestry and forest-based industries in North America.
Israel
· A visitor writes that the impression of "rebirth," which one has on viewing the plains and hills of Israel in early spring, is largely due to the country's foresters. But there is only a limited area available for forestry, as for farming, and the pressure from growth of the existing population is increased each year by a large influx of immigrants from abroad.
The most advanced forestry techniques known to be appropriate for arid areas are already in use. If production and productivity per unit area are to be further improved, it is essential to intensify research. It seems quite possible that production could be improved as the result of a program of genetics research designed to find, select or create new provenances, strains or clones of the quick-growing species - pines, cypresses and eucalypts - which have so far shown the most promise. Individual variations which can be observed in the forest stands seem to indicate that new types could be developed with increased vigor, more tolerance of drought, better shape of trunk and branches, greater adaptability to alkaline soil, or stronger resistance to insect attack. Similarly, research might reveal considerable opportunities for widening the utilization of forest products.
One particular problem in Israel is acutely difficult and often controversial - the choice between trees and water. In a country where both are rare, the question is likely to raise heated discussion if not approached with clear evidence and data. Research should aim to provide the answers on soil and water protection and conservation through forestry techniques.
At present the Ilanoth Forest Research Institute is responsible for all sectors of research and does well with limited resources. With greater resources it could obviously do more, to the ultimate benefit of forestry throughout the Mediterranean area.
Jamaica
· The development plan for the period 1963-68 makes provision for capital investment of £ 600,000 ($ 1,400,000) in forestry development, including the reforestation of 3,600 acres (1,460 hectares) and 84 miles (136 kilometers) of forest roads.
Forest resources amount to some 238,000 acres (96,000 hectares) made up of 84 forest reserves ranging from 2 to 100,000 acres (0.8 to 40,000 hectares). Owing to the shortage of land due to the density of the population and the mountainous nature of much of the country, much of the natural forest (often now scrub woodland on degraded slopes) will never be required for other than protective purposes. However, there are some sizable natural areas with cedar and mahogany, and plantations have been established in which some eucalypts have shown good growth and Pinus caribbaea is among the more important species introduced lately.
No forest inventory or proper development plan has yet been made. It is possible that something may be done through a United Nations Special Fund project. Once forest reserves are more easily accessible, systematically exploited and replanted with suitable species, forestry could contribute considerably toward solving the unemployment problem and reducing the import bill.
Malaysia
· The new plywood and veneer mill of the Southeast Asia Lumber Corporation Ltd. started production in July at Ipoh. It is understood that the mill is at present only working on one shift of eight hours a day, output per shift being 1,800 panels of 4 x 8 feet (1.2 x 2.4 meters).
The plant is equipped with German machinery and has room to double production. There is a small foundry for the maintenance of the machinery and for repairs. A laboratory and airconditioned office building are being constructed.
Nigeria
· The Oxford University trustees of the Schlich Memorial Prize have made the 1963 award to the Department of Forestry, University of Ibadan, set up in 1963 as a UNSF/FAO project. Sir William Schlich was the first Professor of Forestry at Oxford University. A personal donation from the present Professor of Forestry has been added to the award and a fund established to provide a prize for the best final year student in forestry each two years.
Turkey
· In response to requests to heads of forest administrations last summer for seed of Pinus nigra and P. sylvestris to be used in provenance and performance trials in Turkey, some 37 seed lots of the 1963-64 crop were sent to Turkey from 13 countries. Supplies of a further 20 coniferous species were either donated or exchanged for seed of Pinus brutia, Cedrus libani or Abies cilicica, for trials within the framework of an afforestation project in Turkey that is receiving support from the UN/FAD World Food Program.
Uganda
· Refugees and their cattle have been causing considerable problems in the Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo Valley national parks. In the Queen Elizabeth park vast herds of cattle from Rwanda have passed through the main roads on the way to new resettlement areas. In the Kidepo park refugees and cattle have crossed from the Sudan and brought many problems, both human and veterinary, well outside the normal scope of park management. In addition, the Queen Elizabeth park has been suffering from the operations of poachers close to the Congo border, where they retreat and cannot be followed.
United Kingdom
· The first comprehensive exhibition in the United Kingdom devoted exclusively to forestry was organized this summer by the Forestry Commission. The exhibition and demonstrations had the support of organizations throughout the country representing growers and users of wood, equipment manufacturers, the universities, and public and private agencies having an interest in forestry. Held near London and open for two days, the exhibition aroused much more public enthusiasm than had been expected and was a considerable success.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attended the exhibition where he met some of the participants in the fifth session of the FAO/ILO/ECE European Committee on Forest Working Techniques and Training of Forest Workers, who the same day were at the exhibition as guests of the Director-General of the Forestry Commission, Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse. This session of the Committee was held in Edinburgh, followed by a study tour in Scotland and England. Chairman of the Committee is E.G. Richards (United Kingdom) and vice-chairmen J-M. Venet (France) and L.V. Roos (U.S.S.R.).
· The latest book by Bryan Latham, former chairman of the Timber Trade Federation and of the Commonwealth Forestry Association, is entitled Wood from forest to man (Harrap, London, 1964, 192 p., 18/-) which fulfills his desire to outline the story of wood in all its many aspects, ranging from the beauty of the forest to its manifold uses for man.
· New editions of the booklets, Timber prices and forestry costing and Taxation of woodlands, intended chiefly as guides for forestry students, have been published by C. Hart, lecturer in forestry and in estate economy and land use at the Royal Agricultural College.
United States of America
· The publication, Forestry education in America, today and tomorrow (Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C., 1963, 402 p., $5), provides the latest and perhaps most comprehensive appraisal of forestry education and training today, evaluates the needs of the future, and paves the way for closer co-operation between institutions offering forestry instruction, employers of forestry graduates, and the profession itself. The study deals in detail with the forester's subject-matter fields, and makes the point that foresters in general need a broader conception of their responsibilities and opportunities as land managers, together with a professional ability to apply that concept in integrated management of the forest's varied resources.
One chapter deals with technical training in forestry, by which is meant the training of a person competent to hand e responsibilities intermediate between those appropriate to the skilled worker and those of the professional forester. It is perhaps a surprise to learn that in the United States fewer technicians are trained at special centers than professionals, although there seems to be a general consensus that about four technicians are needed for one professional. The apparent shortage of technicians is made good by on-the-job training, or by the employment of professionals for technical tasks. This latter method is not always favorably regarded, and proposals for increased technical training are in fact put forward for consideration. They include lengthening professional education to five years, thus making the distinction between professional and technical work more apparent, with a greater tendency for students to prepare themselves for either one or the other. The number of technical schools is then likely to increase, while the number of professional schools may decrease, simply because more technically trained than professionally educated men are required.
Another chapter deals with forestry education in a world setting, presenting details of education outside the United States and describing the impact on forestry schools of foreign aid programs, and of the United States' increasing involvement in overseas forestry. Suggestions for some uniformity in the nomenclature of degrees awarded are put forward among the conclusions.
VENEZUELA. A survey team in the mud in a forest in Venezuelan Guiana
Photo Hoheisel
With regard to institutional matters, a major conclusion reached is that increased emphasis on teaching should not imply decreased emphasis on the importance of research. In any university good teaching is scholarly teaching, and scholarship is nourished by research.
The Society of American Foresters is to be congratulated on this study. The presentation of conflicting opinions on controversial matters is fair and, although there is bound to be some dissent at some of the conclusions, so thorough an analysis of these problems is most useful.
· The Forest Research Institute of Spain has received a grant, authorized under Public Law 480, from the United States Department of Agriculture, to compile the Spanish equivalents and definitions of English forestry terms, including the synonyms used in each of the Spanish-speaking countries. This work will parallel another effort by the Society of American Foresters which, through an agreement to act as agent for the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO), has been given the financial support necessary to undertake the preparation of a multilingual forestry terminology.
Because of the problems inherent in compiling a terminology of this nature involving definitions of terms the task of organizing and coordinating a project was initially undertaken by a joint Committee on Bibliography set up by FAO and IUFRO. In 1955, arrangements were made to start with a unified English terminology, by collaboration between the Society of American Foresters and the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau at Oxford, England.
The only direct financial support for the project came from FAO, which, however, was never able to allocate yearly more than a token amount. Progress was not therefore satisfactory. After various negotiations it proved possible to obtain financial sponsorship of the English language portion of the project by the Governments of Canada and the United States, and because the Society of American Foresters is a nonprofit scientific organization, it could accept the contributions of these governments and administer the work.
The Society has engaged F.C. Ford Robertson as editor-compiler of the English terminology, which is expected to require five years for completion. Mr. Ford Robertson, who has retired as Director of the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau, Oxford, is a founder member of the FAO/IUFRO Committee on Bibliography and generally supervised the production of the Committee's earlier magnum opus, the Oxford system of decimal classification for forestry.
The Government of Canada is expected to be contributing also to the French version of the multilingual forestry terminology. Offers for subsequent translation and publication in other languages have been received: among these are German, Finnish, Swedish and Portuguese.
· Recent books received include the second edition of Textbook of wood technology, Volume 1, by Panshin, De Zeeuw and Brown (The American Forestry Series, McGraw Hill, 1964, 643 p., $13.50), and Forest mensuration and statistics by Bertram Husch, (Ronald Press, New York, 1963, 474 p., $10). After a period of service on a field assignment in Chile, Dr. Husch is now with the FAO Forestry and Forest Products Division at Rome.
Venezuela
· The Venezuelan Government has in operation a pre-investment survey of forestry development possibilities in Venezuelan Guiana. D.B. Dun (Australia) is FAO manager of the Special Fund project, and other international staff come from France and Sweden. Another forester, A. Spector (United States), is project manager of an agricultural survey being carried out of selected watersheds in the northwest. Under FAO's technical assistance program, D. Moore (United Kingdom) is serving in Venezuela as a general forestry adviser, and two German assistants are working at the Latin-American Forestry Institute, Mérida.
Viet-Nam
· The operation of the new pulp and paper mill some 20 miles from Saigon, largely developed through the United States AID program, continues despite civil unrest and armed conflict. The mill produces printing and writing papers containing high percentages of groundwood pulp. Production of this pulp is integrated into the mill process and is based on Khasya pine from the Dalat mountain area.
With support from the Government the pulp and paper company is undertaking a systematic program of forest management, which includes replanting and fire protection of
Yugoslavia
· A more intensive development of forestry has been encouraged through various economic and privileges within the Yugoslav economic system.
A series of new industrial plants have been set in operation to provide additional outlets for forest produce and to raise forestry incomes. Special credits on favorable forms have boon granted to raise plantations of fast-growing boos, to develop adequate roads and communications, and to purchase equipment.
The prices of forest products were fixed and did not change essentially during the period 1961-63. A certain rive in prices nearer the European average was allowed late in 1963 which had its effects in 1964, when a more liberal price control system was introduced.
A report to FAO says that the system of distribution of the national income gives forestry several easements in taxation. Forest managing organizations can set aside up to about 10 percent of their gross income for the regeneration of forests and to increase their own investment funds. Forestry is likewise exempt from the general obligation to contribute to state funds for the general economic growth and for the financing of capital investment projects.
These two privileges have been granted to forestry so as to permit the accumulation of funds for more rapid development. Forestry also enjoys some other facilities in the taxation system and, together with agriculture, receives subsidies for the purchase of equipment, commercial fertilizers and protection products.
|
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM Food is not just something to eat. Harnessed by the hands and the mind of man it can become a power for economic and social progress in those vast areas of the world where hundreds of millions of people live in scores of underdeveloped countries. Food and men can build a road where a road has never existed - not for want of workers, but for lack of resources to pay for the labor. Food can make a job; and in doing that it can tap the greatest resource of virtually every underdeveloped country: its own people, its underutilized manpower. Food and farmers can make land that has never grown a useful plant produce a valuable crop. Rich food and mothers and rich food and children can make a nation grow on sturdy bones and developed minds. Food can make animals yield more high-quality protein in a protein-deficient world. Food, as international aid to the governments of the developing world, can do all this and more. It already is doing so - in the form of the World Food Program, the bold and pioneering experiment of the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Now in operation for nearly two years, the World Food Program seeks to make one point above all others. "The central position of the program," says A. H. Boerma, WFP Executive Director, "is that the use of food aid as a backing for development, rather than as charitable relief, can help to eliminate the very conditions which make food aid necessary." Two of the three types and fields of assistance covered by the WFP, emergency need and school feeding, will account for some 20 percent of the $92 million resources available over the three-year period, while the third category, economic and social development projects, will account for the remainder. Under this third category the Forestry and Forest Products Division of FAO has been developing projects, and the experimental period will probably end with some 15 projects in about 11 countries, from China (Taiwan) through Turkey to Honduras, at a cost of approximately $10 million. These are either straightforward forestry projects or multipurpose projects in which forestry plays an important part. Since WFP may well expand and become a permanent program, FAO is at present undertaking an assessment of future projects which could be supported through WFP aid. |
