FAO Forestry country profiles - forest management

Trends

The transition from subsistence agroforestry and shifting cultivation to more sustainable forest management methods and conservation practices is proceeding very slowly. The principal changes relate to shifts toward participatory management. Raising awareness that the upland forest areas are unsuited to traditional agricultural use is a priority.

Promotion of sustainable forest management

The principal activities promoting sustainable forest management revolve around the Watershed Management Strategy for Pohnpei, which was developed with assistance mainly from the Asian Development Bank in 1996. Community-based forest management activities have derived from this. The United States has specific responsibilities outlined in the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, which declares the FSM eligible for the services of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS staff primarily works directly with landowners to help them manage their own lands in ways that are productive and sustainable. Training, awareness seminars and research assistance have been provided by the USDA Forest Service. Targeting the negative impacts of land uses, including the erosion impacts of forest clearing, has been a particular focus. Scientists from the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry have carried out mangrove research particularly on the island of Kosrae where the mangroves are the most productive in the FSM and are diverse and relatively intact.