Nepal
United Kingdom
Venezuela
· Forests are one of the few resources which Nepal can develop quickly on a large scale. Wood as logs already constitutes the second largest foreign exchange earner for the country. Bilateral aid, principally from the United States and India, and earlier TA assistance, have assisted Nepal in surveying its forests and in making a sound beginning to putting them under management. In 1967 Nepal requested assistance in the subsequent stage of developing large-scale utilization of the forests and of the industries to use the wood.
In the same year, two experts, respectively in forest management and utilization and in forest products marketing, were sent to Nepal to identify what type of industrial development might be possible and where markets might be found, and to help the government prepare a request for UNDP (Special Fund) assistance in carrying out preinvestment studies necessary to implement this development. Their studies included a survey of logging and sawmilling operations and existing industrial plants, cooperation with government departments and foreign aid agencies concerned with forestry in Nepal, and a preliminary appraisal of markets for Nepal timbers in India.
The request for a UNDP (Special Fund) project was completed and approved by the Governing Council of Nepal in January 1969. It includes provision for incorporating technical assistance in the above two fields into the project, so that the work initiated by the experts may be continued.
· The main event of the British Forestry Commission's Golden Jubilee celebrations took the form of a large and comprehensive forestry exhibition held in the grounds of the Edinburgh Centre for Rural Economy from 5 to 7 June 1969. See Unasylva Vol. 23(1), No. 92.
The exhibition was considered a great success, being visited by more than 36 000 people, including Princess Alexandra, and the organizers had more applications from would-be exhibitors than they had room to accommodate.
The focal point of the exhibition was a fawned area encircled by seven large tents each one of which illustrated, in a manner easily assimilated by the layman, different aspects of the national forestry enterprise in the United Kingdom.
The first tent told the story of the British Forestry Commission's afforestation achievements over the past 50 years, during which time it has built up a forest estate of 1 3/4 million acres (700 000 hectares), these being the first major national forests which have had to be created entirely by man.
The second tent illustrated the commission's implementation of its policy of providing recreational facilities for the public in its forests, how it conserves and manages the wildlife in its woodlands, and the manner in which regard is paid to preserving the beauty of the countryside by the landscaping of new plantations.
As its title signifies, the third tent showed the role of the commission's research branch in assisting all managers of the nation's forest industry by its continual quest for more advanced methods of producing timber by the use of today's technological and scientific aids.
In a series of dioramas, the production exhibit told the story of the nation's rapidly expanding timber production, how modern methods of harvesting have greatly helped toward this, and made a bold forecast of how timber would be harvested in 2019 when the commission will be 100 years old. An enlightening feature was a display showing a representative selection of many timber products and the quantity of wood consumed annually by the average family in the United Kingdom.
The fifth exhibit, "into the 1910 s," was devoted to the work of the Management Services Division whose branches deal with organization and methods, planning and economies, and work study-all of which contribute greatly toward making the nation's forestry enterprises operate both efficiently and economically.
The information exhibit emphasized features of the commission's history over the last 50 years and was, in fact, a small forestry exhibition of its own, for it embraced all aspects of the commission's activities.
Finally, visitors entered the publications tent where they could browse through the 150 and more publications which the commission has available for either free distribution or sale.
After visitors had walked through the seven tents they made their way to an area reserved for such exhibitors as private forestry, wildlife conservation and outdoor activity organizations, and sporting displays. Prominent among these were the various associations representing the forestry societies, private woodland owners and timber merchants, and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries whose interesting tent displayed the potential of multiple land use for the benefit of forestry, agriculture, recreation and amenity.
The largest area of all was devoted to the 200 commercial exhibitors, all connected either directly or indirectly with Britain's forest industry.
In this area, and a woodland area close to it, continuous demonstrations of the most advanced techniques of cone collection, log grading, timber extraction, tree moving, ploughing, drainage, chemical weeding, brushing, nursery work, planting, road-making and maintenance took place; there were also chain-saw and axe-man competitions.
· The forests of Venezuela cover an area of approximately 48 million hectares; 11.7 million hectares of this forest area are located in the Venezuelan Guiana region. Notwithstanding the existence of such immense resources, in 1960 the country still imported forest products to a value of $6 million, because at that time the characteristics of the majority of the species making up such forests were unknown. The Government accordingly requested a UNDP (Special Fund) project which would obtain more complete information on the forest areas of the region. The project was approved, and declared operational on 2 December 1963. It was to have a duration of five years.
In pursuance of the aims of the project, the team set out to determine the volume of raw material available for industry by species grouped into various end use categories. This has necessitated the preparation of a forest inventory in its broadest sense. The Venezuelan Forest Products Laboratory was asked to determine the wood characteristics of species.
Through economic studies, it evaluated present and future demands for wood products in relation to the existing forest industry of the country with a view to planning development through silvicultural and engineering studies. It also provided data for plans permitting logging by the most modern and economic methods and providing for the reestablishment and enrichment of the existing forest resources in order to meet increased future requirements. Lastly, it trained Venezuelan technicians to cover all aspects of the programme.
Forest inventory field work was completed in 1967. IBM processing of data to give timber volumes and number of trees was completed in
1963. From this information inventory estimates were obtained for the proposed management area of 144 000 hectares, and for three long term concession areas comprising some 233 900 hectares. Similar information was calculated for the central and southern regions of the project are where areas of 52 000 and 118 000 hectares respectively were sampled.
A collection was made of 314 tree samples of 148 species representing some '30 percent of the volume of commercial timber in the northern part of the project area; these were sent to the National Forest Products Laboratory in Mérida for testing, and numerous other tests were carried out during the project.
A management plan was drawn up for an area of 144 000 hectares on which there was sufficient inventory and topographic detail. Because of its proximity to a highly developed industrial centre, this area offers immediate possibilities for industrial development. It will also serve as a guide for other forest management plans in the region and for Venezuela in general. Engineering studies have covered an area of 700000 hectares. From data supplied from this work, the National Mapping Office has provided :311 000 hectares of contour maps, a detailed topographic inventory, and roading and logging studies were made, in the El Paraiso area. An operational area of 600 hectares was selected, a road was built into it and it was logged by modern rubber-tired. skidders. Performance data were processed, and a realistic picture of logging survey involving topographic mapping inventory and field layout was made in the Rio Grande area, covering an area of 5 570 hectares. Industrial consultants in sawmilling and prefabricated housing, fibreboard and particle board, and plywood and veneers completed their missions in the middle of 1968. Nine Venezuelan foresters received training overseas.
During the project the Government promoted the development of a pulp mill to draw material from the northern part of the project area. This policy evoked great interest on the part of industry, and in January 1969 a decision was taken to proceed with the establishment of a pulp plant with an initial capacity of 120 metric tons a day. Toward the end of 1968, the Government engaged an international consulting firm to carry out a feasibility study for the establishment of mechanical forest industries in the northern part of the project area, with good prospects of development. The Government is also continuing and expanding the engineering field work, silvicultural studies and inventory work initiated in the northern zone of the project area.
