The scheme, started two years ago, is among the government’s initiatives to ensure sustainable development and targets equitable geographical distribution of economic activities and diversification of the economy, the agency said yesterday.

Under the programme, it said, training was conducted in forestry laws, inventory and management at Riversview, Batavia, Kabakaburi, Whyaka, Tapakuma, Capoey, Kwebanna, St Francis Mission, Moraikobai, Orealla, Siparuta, St Ignatius, Nappi, Annai and Campbell Town/Micobie. The training was undertaken with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

GINA said that through the State Forests Permit (SFP) issued by the Office of the President, this programme enables residents to utilise the forest resources within their areas in a sustainable and economic way for the benefit of all community members.

It is mandatory that the communities form associations, which must be linked to the local authorities such as Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) in the rural areas, and the Village Councils in the hinterland, the agency explained. It said an SFP is granted for a period of two years and does not exceed 8,000 hectares.

To date, community associations have been formed at Linden, Ituni and Kwakwani with the last recently being formed at Karia Karia, which has been allocated an SFP for utilizing 1,889 hectares of state forest lands, the agency reported.

It said Community Development Officer Margot Boyce stated that plans are in place to establish associations in other communities next year. A training-of-trainers programme will be conducted during 2007 to facilitate continuous training opportunities and transfer of ideas, knowledge and experience, she said.

GINA said she noted that the Community Development Programme has been achieving its benchmarks and is proving successful based on the responses. The scheme is being undertaken by the government with support from the European Union (EU) and UNDP.

Ms. Boyce pointed out that the GFC is working with the Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) Agricultural and Forest Producers Association (RTAFPA), the Upper Berbice Forest Producers Association (Kwakwani) and the Ituni Loggers Association to access funds allocated through the Guyana Micro-Management Programme funded by the EU.

The funds, she said, will be used to buy portable sawmills for RTAFPA and Ituni and a tractor and trailer for Kwakwani.

GINA said the social development programme was established in accordance with the National Forest Plan released in February, 2001, which highlights social development as one objective to contribute to the effective realisation of social responsibilities, satisfaction of social needs and attainment of social benefits by stakeholders in the forestry sector.

A diagnostic study conducted by GFC in 2000 identified social issues and outlined an approach to social development of the forestry sector. That study, the agency said, recognised that social development could not be the exclusive undertaking of the GFC and recommended that the commission serve as a contributor and facilitator for a multi-disciplinary and inter-agency collaborative approach.