The Restructuring Options for the Forest Resources of the Former Homelands study has identified 93 Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) managed woodlots or non-commercial plantations, with a total area of 12 953 ha in South Africa (LHA Management Consultants, 1998). These woodlots were initially established mainly for environmental reasons, i.e. to stop the degradation of natural woodland which was ascribed to the harvesting of poles and firewood. The price of wood from these woodlots has been set very low, to make utilisation of timber from them more attractive than utilisation of indigenous vegetation (Gandar, 1994 ex Williams et al, 1996). The general condition of these woodlots varies from average to poor but they are important sources of poles and firewood to the people living close to them. The new Forest Act (Act 84 of 1998) paves the way for the devolution of these woodlots. The Act provides for communities to enter into agreements with the Minister regarding the management of state forests that would also include woodlots
Reference:
Ham, C. 2000. The importance of woodlots to local communities, small scale entrepreneurs and indigenous forest conservation– A case study. Instruments for sustainable private sector forestry, South Africa series. International Institute for Environment and Development and CSIR-Environmentek, London and Pretoria, pp 18
Ham, C. (2000). Importance of woodlots to local communities, small scale entrepreneurs and indigenous forest conservation – A case study IIED & CSIR. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2498
Ham, C Importance of woodlots to local communities, small scale entrepreneurs and indigenous forest conservation – A case study. IIED & CSIR, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2498
Ham C. Importance of woodlots to local communities, small scale entrepreneurs and indigenous forest conservation – A case study. 2000 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2498
A report prepared as part of the South Africa Country Study for the international collaborative research project steered by IIED: Instruments for sustainable private sector forestry Partners in the South Africa Country study: CSIR-Environmentek International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) In association with: Department for Water Affairs and Forestry South Africa
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