FAO Forestry country profiles - forest management
Managers
The principal forestry institution in American Samoa is the Forestry Section of the Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources Department of the American Samoa Community College. The Forestry Section is a semi-autonomous institution funded by the USDA Forest Service. It provides forestry expertise to American Samoa, operating principally in the fields of forest management, extension and applied research, as well as implementing surveys to gauge public opinion on forestry issues. The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency administers regulations controlling soil erosion, and consequently has some interest in forestry. The Department of Parks and Recreation has responsibility for conservation areas in American Samoa. The American Samoa Coastal Management Programme run by the Department of Commerce has significant management responsibilities for forests in coastal zones.
About 90 percent of the land in American Samoa is under customary ownership. Samoan society is based on the extended family, or aiga, in which the Matai (family head) allocates the use of family land. The Matai¿s authority includes the ability to grant rights of use and to determine labour obligations. It is unlawful for customary lands to be alienated or leased for terms exceeding 55 years. Around 2 percent of Samoan lands are freehold land, with the government owning most of the remainder.