3. Land rights registration
By completing its clan geneology and land use map, each clan can then register as an Incorporated Land Group (ILG) under their clan name. Assisted by Celcor, this registration acknowledges the clan’s rights to any development on its land.

These three foundations are required before the clan can begin working with the foresters from FPCD.

1. Marking or demarcating the clan boundary
Accompanied by clan members, a forester walks the clan boundary, and using a global positioning system (GPS), marks the way points (or positions) along that boundary. This allows the clan land to be accurately recorded on maps. Any disputes which arise at this stage are resolved with the help of a third party -- from other clans, or from Barefoot.

2. Forest management area
The foresters demarcate the area the clan has chosen for forest management, again with the GPS. Before the team had access to GPS technology, they worked with compasses and tape measures. The process took three times longer to complete.

3. Baseline inventory
The foresters sample the harvestable trees in a small portion of the forest management area. This sample of between 1-5% of the area gives a good picture of the variety and quality of trees. Names (both language and botanical), and height and diameter of trees are recorded.

Doing the inventory requires hacking a straight base line with machetes through the bush, setting stakes every 50m and then taking an inventory of the harvestable trees 10m on either side of the base line. At camp Zaiva, near Kusi Kine, the base line was 1.1km. At Mumus at the north end of the lake, it was 1.5km. It takes a day generally to complete.

No matter what, the base line takes a fixed direction, even passing through creeks if required.

The foresters then record the trees of harvestable size within the 50 x 20m plots created. Anything with a diameter more than 60cms (the legal requirement is 50cms) is included.

As well as the diameter, the height [to the first branch], botanical name, language name, and grade of tree is noted. An 'A' designates a straight and ‘good form’ tree – the most suitable for saw milling.

They also record trees with a diameter of between 40-60 cms, as these will be harvestable in future years.

Each stake is marked with a fluorescent pink ribbon and labeled with its distance along the line. This flash of pink is an incongruous site in the bush thick with greens and browns, and the occasional red or blue flower or bud.

The identification and naming sometimes involves slicing at the bark to see the sap and interior of the tree, or ferreting for seeds. Clan members discuss the language name for the trees – those used frequently come easily. Lesser-used species take a bit more of a discussion.

After the inventory, the foresters calculate the forest management area and assess the harvestable log volume to ensure viability.

4. Set up
The final preparation before logging is known as the setup. For this step the foresters take a 100% inventory for an area identified as suitable for logging (it must be no smaller than 10 hectares in size). More information is recorded here: exact coordinates of the trees to be felled, the grade, name and size of each. The fell direction is marked on the tree along with identifying number.

Ideally, it’s a rectangular area, say 200m by 250m, though if a creek is there, they’ll extend along the base line. For this the area is broken into 20m along the base line and up to 200m on one side perpendicular.

Within this area, the foresters record every tree harvestable and paint a number on them and the direction for the tree to fall in, to limit damage to the forest.

Once again, they record the botanical name, language name, diameter, height, coordinates of the location by distance from the starting point, and form. Again grade 'A' is used for straight trees of good quality, 'B' for crooked or leaning trees, part of which are merchantable, 'C' for quite bad form trees (these are not considered), 'S' for seed trees that are kept to provide seeds for the forest, and 'H' for habitat (kept because they provide fruit for the cassowary or home to a snake).

To protect water-courses from erosion, trees within a 10m distance from creeks or 50m from the lake edge are harvested.

5. Forest management and sawmill training
Forest management training covers how to manage the forest sustainably and fell and mill timber most effectively. It includes techniques for selecting trees, maintaining forest and regeneration and adhering to the Forest Stewardship requirements. Sawmill training covers health and safety of milling, equipment maintenance, and how to grade and select timber for export.

6. Milling begins
A sawmill is provided on a lease-to-purchase arrangement by FPCD. Income from the first sales will be used to pay for the sawmill.

7. Business management training
This training covers basic small business skills, setting up bank accounts, managing money, bookkeeping and record keeping, negotiating timber sales and so on.

8. Marketing and certification
The community is advised on marketing their timber in PNG and overseas. Local NGO, Forest Management and Product Certification Support (FORCERT) will provide marketing and FSC certification support. It holds an FSC Group Certificate on behalf of producer members. Clans are expected to receive certification within 18 months.

9. Follow up and monitoring of forest management
NGOs will continue to provide follow up and monitoring support, ideally for at least 5 years, before the communities are strong enough to work on their own.

Greenpeace is coordinating and working alongside the NGOs mentioned above. See Our partners in Paradise.