The International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) in collaboration with the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) has produced a very useful series of technical manuals for reduced impact logging.
This ITTO project was established to “facilitate and promote the adoption of reduced impact logging (RIL) in Indonesia and the Asia Pacific region". The ITTO indicates that careful planning and controlling of timber harvesting operations, including roads, is key to ensuring that environmental impacts are minimised. The manuals are easy to read and contain very useful diagrams and pictures. The five manuals in the series are as follows:
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Technical procedures for topographic forest surveys and tree mapping – The focus is on how to carry out topographical surveys and process the resultant data, producing contour and tree position maps.
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Planning considerations for reduced impact logging – This is a guide to help the forest manager or supervisor to understand the planning requirements for reduced impact logging. Maps and planning standards are included.
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Operational considerations for reduced impact logging – A very interesting manual covering all operational aspects of the logging activity, starting with the opening of skid trails, and leading to the detailed implementation of felling, bucking and skidding activities. Other areas covered include timber utilisation, landing construction and post harvesting activities.
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Planning, location, survey, construction and maintenance of low-impact forest roads – This manual covers planning, location and survey and design of forest roads. Roads construction, maintenance and deactivation are also covered in detail. Again, good use of pictures, diagrams and practical exercises make this manual a must for the bookshelf of any Forest Engineer!
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Management considerations for reduced impact logging – This manual is less technical and goes into more management related issues. It begins with an overview of what reduced impact logging is about, and then covers government policy and practices. It also gives an indication of what is required at the structural and management level from an organisation in order to achieve reduced impact logging. It ends with the role that technology can play.
Even though these manuals concentrate on tropical, indigenous forestry, the information is useful and many parts are applicable to all harvesting and road activities. The manuals were implemented by the Centre for Forestry Education and Training (CFET) in Indonesia. The author of all the manuals is Art Klassen. The manuals can be downloaded for free by accessing the web source at the end of this article. Source: http://www.tff-indonesia.org and www.ito.int/en/features15_01/