Another week, another bad news story in the litany of irresponsibility, greed and corruption that seem to characterize forestry in Asia and the Pacific. But, is the actual situation as bad as things are usually painted?

If a new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) is correct, then predictions of the imminent demise of the region's forests may be premature. In search of excellence: exemplary forest management in Asia and the Pacific "shatters the myth that there's no positive forestry being practiced in our region? There are also good news stories in the region. They've just not been told".

A widespread call for nominations identified 172 forests in 21 countries that were perceived to be "well-managed." Sifted from the nominations, the book's 28 case studies range from Indonesia's Damar gardens, where indigenous Krui people have developed sustainable and lucrative management of forests, Vietnam's Can Gio mangrove forests, rehabilitated from herbicides and bombing damage, to the "minimal impact" helicopter logging operations of Forever Beech in New Zealand.

The result is a kaleidoscope of ideas, approaches, inspiration and perspiration that tell the stories of people dedicated to building sustainable livelihoods through careful management of their forests. "We wanted to show that there are some good things happening in the forests," says FAO Assistant Director-General for Asia and the Pacific, He Changchui. "There are many people devoting their lives to improving forest management, but they rarely receive the credit they deserve." Nonetheless, He perceives a gradual shift in the forest debate. "People are recognizing that collaborative efforts are the most constructive - where governments, environmentalists, communities and forest industry all work together. This is an important lesson emerging from the In search of excellence study," He concludes.

One of the most striking things about the new study is the emergence of common themes among well-managed forests. Strengthening resource security and property rights, attention to the livelihoods of local people, and the development of appropriate institutional or management structures and frameworks are specifically identified by the analysis as key components of effective forest management, along with less tangible aspects such as commitment to effective management and development of societal consensus.

The Kalibo Mangrove Reforestation Project exemplifies the importance of secure tenure and enforceable propery rights in effective forest management. When the project was first initiated, the forest existed only in people's minds. The area to be planted was nothing more than a bare mudflat that left the nearby town exposed to flooding caused by high tides and typhoons. This case documents the formation of a community-based organization (KASAMA) that effectively planted and maintained a mangrove forest. A key challenge for the community was to protect the area and later the forest from encroachers, including attempts by powerful individuals to expropriate parts of the area for their own use. KASAMA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources eventually signed a Community-Based Forest Management Agreement that awarded secure rights over the mangrove forests and enabled the community to establish a successful ecotourism venture, capitalizing on its forest asset.

"The unity demonstrated by KASAMA has been directly responsible for minimizing incidents of illegal cutting in the mangrove area," said officer Didi Quimpo. "KASAMA offers a far better means of protection than the local government could otherwise afford."

Developments in the Periyar Tiger Reserve are especially interesting and innovative examples of livelihood creation. Efforts to support the management of the reserve and the surrounding areas specifically set out to create a suite of alternative livelihood options aimed at taking pressure off the reserve and promoting forest conservation. The story is of a group of convicted smugglers ? whose basic means of livelihood was to illegally strip cinnamon bark from trees in the reserve ? and their transformation into stewards of biodiversity. This almost magical transformation was brought about by "Eco-Development Committees" that were formed to establish and support ecotourism-related enterprises and forest protection businesses. These were so successful that the bark collectors now run wildlife spotting excursions for tourists.

"Our Eco-Development Committee enables us to lead a normal life", says Koshy Joseph, a convicted bark-smuggler turned forest guide. "In addition, we offer considerable help to the authorities to protect Periyar Tiger Reserve, since we know every corner of the forests.

A case study of the forests of Southwestern Australia highlights the critical importance of effective institutional frameworks in managing forests and developing societal consensus and confidence in how forests are managed. The case study describes the extensive restructuring of the west Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) to ensure transparency and accountability in forest management. It shows how perceptions of an inadequate institutional structure can impede orderly forest policy development and implementation, and how organizations can overcome such weaknesses through responsive restructuring and reform.

"I believe in democracy, so I believe these changes were right", says Keith Low, a policy advisor with the West Australian Forest Products Commission. "If CALM's operations were not transparent to the public, then it was important for the organization to be restructured.

FAO Senior Forestry Officer, Patrick Durst acknowledges that the study is likely to cause controversy. "We haven't backed away from including some contentious exemplars, and there will be plenty of people who will disagree with this. The Diamond Raya timber concession in Indonesia and Australian forests in Tasmania and Southwestern Australia are flashpoints for forest controversy." But, controversy doesn't preclude exemplary forest management and these conflicts help to highlight the overarching importance of developing societal consensus about how forests should be managed. The book argues that open debate over forest management is a healthy sign; one of its conclusions is that perceptions of excellence are usually in the eye of the beholder.

RECOFTC Executive Director Yam Malla highlights the importance of identifiable commonalities among the studies. "These common elements are at the core of RECOFTC's mandate - it reinforces our belief that our approach is on the correct path," says Dr. Malla.

In search of excellence: exemplary forest management in Asia and the Pacific provides answers for all the people who have asked, "Why don't they do something?" It is dedicated to the many forest managers who are making a difference.