An Overview of National Forest Funds:
Current Approaches and Future Opportunities
January 2001
by Kenneth L. Rosenbaum and Jonathan M. Lindsay
Prepared as a contribution to:
The Oslo Workshop on Finance for Sustainable Forest Management
Oslo, Norway (22–25 January 2001)
Kenneth Rosenbaum is the principal of Sylvan Environmental Consultants (SYENCO), Washington, DC. Jonathan Lindsay is a legal officer with FAO’s Development Law Service, Rome, Italy. The authors would like to thank the following people for their insights and assistance: John Bruce, C. Chandrasekharan, Richard K. Gordon, Ross W. Gorte, H. Hilmi, Linda Johnson, Natasha Landell-Mills, Lennart Ljungman, William McGrath, Ali Mekouar, Phyllis Myers, Alberto Ninio, Manuel Paveri, Michael Richards, Olli Saastamoinen, Franz Schmithüesen, and Adrian Whiteman. |
Executive Summary
What is a National Forest Fund?I. Introduction
The Range of Variations
Main Arguments For and Against National Forest Funds
Future Roles for National Forest Funds
II. What is a national forest fund?
III. A closer look at the range of forest funds
A. OrganisationIV. The cases for and against national forest funds: tracing the main arguments
B. Income Sources
C. Uses
D. Oversight
A. Common Arguments in Favour of Forest Funds.V. Envisioning future roles for national forest funds
B. Common Arguments Against Forest Funds.
A. Decentralisation and devolutionVI. Conclusion
B. Encouraging private sector initiatives
C. Increasing accountability and transparency
D. Promoting the production of environmental goods and services (‘internalising externalities’)
References
Appendix A: Summary of Selected Forest Fund Legislation
Albania
Bolivia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Canada
Congo (Brazzaville)
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
France
Gambia
Guatemala
Guinea
Indonesia
Laos
Lesotho
Lithuania
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mauritania
Mozambique
Nepal
Norway
Philippines
Senegal
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Tanzania (Zanzibar)
Tunisia
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Zambia