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Even when communities have a pressing need to plant trees and are aware of it, the task they face is not simple or cheap (chapter 5). However, the benefits provided by trees are countless (chapter 2). In fact, without these our civilization could not exist as we know it. This manual was written to help plan, organize and execute reforestation programs in Tropical Latin America. Figure 1.1 summarizes the sequence of steps to follow and the factors to consider in the development of a reforestation program. For the convenience of the reader, in each step or factor presented in the flow chart the chapter and / or appendix containing information relevant to it has been identified. Therefore, if the volunteer is only interested in one particular aspect of the reforestation program, you can use Figure 1.1 to find the chapter of interest. Each chapter has been written in a way that is complete and independent of others. However, in order to obtain a general and logical view of the process for the establishment of a reforestation program, the manual should be read from chapter 2. In this manual we emphasize that due to the time factor, we must be extremely cautious before removing vegetation even if it is to plant trees. Tree planting is a management resource of last resort. It should be used only when alternatives to natural regeneration and natural forests no longer exist.

During the last century, a large amount of the original bottomland hardwood forest area in the United States has been lost, with losses greatest in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and East Texas. With a holistic approach in mind, this manual describes methods to restore bottomland hardwoods in the lower Midwest, including the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and the southeastern United States. Bottomland hardwoods in this guide include not only the hardwood species that predominate in most forested floodplains of the area but also the softwood species such as I baldcypress that often co-occur. General restoration planning considerations are discussed as well as more specific elements of bottomland hardwood restoration such as species selection, site preparation, direct seeding, planting of seedlings, and alternative options for revegetation. We recognize that most projects will probably fall more within the realm of reforestation or afforestation rather than a restoration, as some site preparation and the planting of seeds or trees may be the only actions taken. Practical information needed to restore an area is provided in the guide, and it is left up to the restorationist to decide how complete the restoration will be. Postplanting and monitoring considerations are also addressed. Restoration and management of existing forests are included because of the extensive areas of degraded natural forests in need of rehabilitation.

At the first Forum meeting in May 2002 one of the major recommendations was for the Forum to develop a biodiversity restoration ‘opportunities’ document to provide a framework for identifying key priorities for biodiversity restoration across the Waikato Region. The priorities and opportunities highlighted in this document are viewed as the ultimate collaboration of Forum members. The purpose of this document is to: raise awareness of the need to restore rare and depleted indigenous ecosystems across the Waikato Region; support and empower communities to undertake ecosystem restoration and contribute to biodiversity protection and enhancement in the Region; guide local groups and management agencies who want to prioritise restoration activities and projects across the Region; provide an overall context for the many restoration projects already completed or underway and for new restoration projects that may be undertaken in the future; and provide options for securing a better representation of all ecosystem types across the region.

This is an official information guide produced by the Philippine government to assist coastal communities in the rehabilitation, management, protection, and maintenance of mangrove forests and the coastal environment. A chapter in the handbook focuses on community based forest management agreements/contracts (CBFMA) as a land tenure instrument for mangrove management. The chapter provides some background information on legal instruments concerning CBFMAs in the Philippines, discusses possible livelihood activities under these agreements, and lists the benefits to local communities from participation. The guide also provides useful information on the CBFMA application process. A local people's organization is the first important prerequisite for a CBFMA. The people's organization is required to develop a community-based map (the details of which are in another chapter of the handbook) and request for an official survey by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office. The most demanding part of the process for the local people's groups is development of the Community Resource Management Framework and the Annual Work Plan/Resource Use Plan. Another important step in the application process is to gain administrative support from local government units/agencies, and financial support from the Municipality or other resources.

Drawing from seven years of progress of project for Guesselbodi and Gorou-Bassounga National Forests in Niger, the authors were able to produce a detailed manual that can be used to establish restoration and management plans for other forests in the region. Descriptions of activities such as resource inventories, landform evaluations, erosion pattern analysis and vegetative mapping, among many others, are given in detail in order to serve as an instructional guide for planners. In the Sahel, drought, over-harvesting, desertification and human-initiated fires undermine forest resource sustainability. Villagers and nomadic herdsmen have extensive knowledge of local conditions and should participate actively in the development of a managed forest. Market analysis and inventories make management goals clear, and monitoring should be incorporated into the plan so that degradation that detracts from the goals can be detected early. These and other activities such as mapping, research, baseline studies, inventories, road planning, site preparation, development of work calendars, control of resource extraction, establishing checks and balances in enforcement, defining clear roles and responsibilities, and maintenance should be emphasized in management plans. Projects such as these should be developed such that they will continue after funding has ended. This will be assured in part if communities are trained to perform management, and if forests can pay their own way by producing sustainable and marketable products. Forest management projects should be treated as a business, with profits reinvested in the management of the forest. Project success also depends on community acceptance of projects, which is more likely if local people are involved in each phase.