WWF International and the IKEA Group are joining forces to promote responsible forestry. In a three-year co-operation, the organisations will carry out a series of forest projects that will contribute to the development of global toolkits on forestry issues and promote responsible forestry on the ground in priority regions. By strengthening multi-stakeholder based forest certification and management and promoting legal compliance in forestry and trade, the projects are important steps in implementing IKEA’s forest action plan and in achieving WWF’s conservation goals.

The project “Group certification for private forest owners in Lithuania” is a part of the WWF and IKEA co-operation on Forest Projects.

Background

The forest land restitution process has not yet been completed in Lithuania. At the beginning of 2002 private forests accounted for 25% of the total forestland and an additional 25% is reserved for privatisation. There were over 160,000 forest owners in Lithuania at the beginning of 2002. It is expected that there will be about 250,000 forest owners in the end of the forest land restitution process in 6 –to 7 years.

Private ownership is characterised by a dominance of very small holdings (~4 ha) and a low level of knowledge and experience of forest management amongst the forest owners. Basic knowledge, understanding and capacity on forest certification are also poorly developed.

Taking into consideration of the status of forest certification in Lithuania the project activities are primarily targeted on information dissemination, awareness building on FSC certification among private forest owners.

Goals

1. To provide information on FSC certification for private forest owners and other stakeholders within forestry and nature conservation sector in Lithuania.

2. To promote protection of biological diversity in private forests.

Activities

1. Training, experience exchange and study trips for representatives of forest owners groups.

2. Production of information and training materials adapted to the national context on responsible forest management and forest certification for private forest owners.

3. Production of information materials on biodiversity conservation measures in forests as a part of forest management.

4. Active outreach and information campaigns targeting private forest owners with information about FSC certification and its group scheme.

This project is a part of the WWF and IKEA co-operation on Forest Projects.