In 1947, the Suriname Forest Service (Dienst Land’s Bosbeheer, LBB) was established to administer and manage the nation’s forest. In fact, it was given the following directives: first, the management of the country’s forest to yield in perpetuity the maximum benefits for the community by inventory of the forest estate to assess forest types. Second, the composition and growing stock. Third, the supervision of forest exploitation; Fourth, the collection of royalties; Fifth, the inspection of timber exports. Sixth, the research on forest protection; seventh, the improvement and regeneration; eighth, the investigation of the economic possibilities of minor forest products and market research and development in land and abroad.
Conclusively, the Suriname Forest Service is responsible for both forest production and management of the country protected areas. The Nature Conservation Division of the Forest Service enforces the Nature Preservation Law, the Game Law and CITES legislation, conducts estuarine and other ecological research. STINASU is responsible for the development of the nature reserves for nature tourism, public awareness campaigns with regards to nature conservation, research and management of sea turtles.
After the Suriname Forest Service was established timber production was managed under a system which granted timber concessions in state forests to timber companies, individuals or groups. Special arrangements were made to grant timber rights (in the form of Wood Cutting Licenses (WCLs)) to tribal communities. The WCLs allowed the harvesting of wood and non-wood forest products in forests near to the communities’ villages.
The Timber Ordinance of 1947 regulated the exploitation of timber and other forest products except Manilkara bidentata, Aniba rosaeodora, Dipteryx odorata and Copaifera guianensis.
In 1992, a new Forest Management Act was passed. This act stipulated that the forest should be classified into three categories; Permanent Forest, Conversion Forest (areas to be clear-cut and converted to other land use i.e. agriculture) and Forest to be Preserved temporarily.
Between 1947 and 1982 accurate statistics on forest products were recorded. In those days the production of the forests reached a maximum in 1979. The data collected by Suriname Forest Service was based on timber products because the numbered produced the non-wood forest products became less important. Due to political instability, the country became isolated in 1982, vastly reducing the amount of foreign investment and assistance. By 1986, the issuing and renewing of concessions was stopped due to internal conflict and pended the promulgation and enactment of a new forest law (finally passed in 1992). Between 1985 and 1987 LBB’s facilities in the field were destroyed by the civil war (which ended in 1992). Continuing economic difficulties have led to the present situation where LBB is facing acute shortages of trained staff and facilities. Because of these situations much of the domestic forest production went unrecorded, as LBB has neither the staff nor the resources to collect data or control the operation. By 1992 when the forests were reopened for production, timber and other products became readily available. The statistics were by that time recorded but were not accurate. Up until now, there has been a lack of available data on Non Wood Forest Products.
