An Overview of National Forest Funds

Executive Summary

What is a National Forest Fund?

The Range of Variations

Main Arguments For and Against National Forest Funds

Future Roles for National Forest Funds

I. Introduction

II. What is a national forest fund?

III. A closer look at the range of forest funds

A. Organisation

B. Income Sources

C. Uses

D. Oversight

IV. The cases for and against national forest funds: tracing the main arguments

A. Common Arguments in Favour of Forest Funds.

B. Common Arguments Against Forest Funds.

V. Envisioning future roles for national forest funds

A. Decentralisation and devolution

B. Encouraging private sector initiatives

C. Increasing accountability and transparency

D. Promoting the production of environmental goods and services (‘internalising externalities’)

VI. Conclusion

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

An Overview of National Forest Funds

Current Approaches and Future Opportunities

Table of Contents




^{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.}