COMMUNITY FORESTRY

PROGRAM
DENR Administrative Order No. 123
OBJECTIVES

Prioritize legal access of rural communities to forest

resources and products

Alleviate rural poverty

Encourage forest conservation

Provide training and assistance to local communities

PRINCIPAL FEATURES
1. Community Forest Management Agreement
(CFMA)
awarded to residents for 25 years, renewable for another
25 years
allows utilization of Forest Products but is subject to:
o Submission and approval of a management/development plan

o Compliance with DENR rules and regulations

o Adherence to the principles of sustained yield management

PRINCIPAL FEATURES
2. DENR Assistance

To help CFMA Awardees cope with their responsibilities,

the DENR will provide:
o Aid in establishing community organizations
o On-the-job training in forest management planning and
conservation
o Livelihood opportunities in forest resource rehabilitation

o Aid in developing other kinds of livelihood

PRINCIPAL FEATURES
3. Phasing

The PROGRAM shall begin with 12 PROJECTS in

Calendar Year 1989

shall be expanded based on the lessons learned on these

projects.
 WORKFLOW

contracts
assists
with

DENR NGO CO
Community Environment Members of the local
and Natural Resource community
Officer

PENRO

Regional Executive
Director

RTD
OPERATIONS
The Manual of Operations will serve as the
official guideline for the implementation of
Community Forest Projects

The Undersecretary for Field Operations can

propose revisions to the Manual of Operations
with approval of the Secretary.
SITE SELECTION
COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROJECTS may be
implemented on:
Public lands

Upland, Lowland and Mangrove areas

Areas covered by existing permits, leases or contracts
as long as the permitee/leasee/contractee has executed
an appropriate waiver
SITE SELECTION
Site that are prohibited are those with:
Established critical watersheds covered by
proclamations, legislation, and specific administrative
issuances
Protected and wilderness areas
Civil, military and other government reservations where
forest product utilization is forbidden by law
Areas covered by existing permits, leases or contracts
WITHOUT an appropriate waiver executed by
permitee/leasee/contractee
SITE SELECTION
Site selected for PROJECTS must have the
following mandatory criteria:
Not within a prohibited area
Participants must live within the site and shall agree to
protect the forest
Theres a potential to develop livelihood thats not
dependent on forest product extraction
If located within or including part of a dipterocarp
residual forest, the PROJECT area shall have been
logged 5 years prior to PROJECT implementation
SITE SELECTION
Priority shall be given to sites with the following
features:
Located at most 5km from a road that provides Market
access
There is an ISF project within or adjacent to the forest
The site was part of an expired, abandoned or cancelled
Timber License Agreement (TLA)
Community organization work has previously been
carried by government or an NGO
There is an NGO already operating within or near the
site
LGUs are perceptive to the PROJECT and no serious
problems of negative political intervention are
anticipated
SITE SELECTION
Site Area:
Initial area covered by PROJECT shall not exceed one
thousand hectares (1,000 ha)
Area may be increased to exceed 1,000 ha if the
community demonstrates adequate managerial
capability
MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Each PROJECT shall have a comprehensive
management and development plan prepared
jointly by the Community and an NGO with
DENR assistance.

The plan shall provide the following:

Virgin Forest Areas

o an operationally feasible protection plan consistent with
the principle that logging in virgin forests should be
banned
MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Residual Forest Areas
o Complete stand and stock tables

o An operation map dividing the area into working units

o Schedule and detail of TSI, forest product extraction and
enrichment planting that will be carried out
o Nursery location and development / operation plans

o Road and trail alignments

o Forest products collection stations

MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Mangrove Areas

o Schedule and details of sustained-yield selective cutting

operations for fuelwood gathering or other forms of
extraction allowed by DENR

o Revegetation, enrichment planting and other development

activities allowed under DENR rules and regulations

o Other livelihood activity that will be implemented

consistent with DENR policy such as aqua-silviculture
MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Non-forested Area
o A map indicating number, location and areas of land claimed,
occupied and vacant
o Names of occupants, claimants and their status
o Areas identified for reforestation to be implemented and
financed by CFMA awardee
o Areas identified for reforestation to repay start-up expenses
advanced by DENR
o Areas identified for contract reforestation to provide
immediate employment
o Agroforestry development area
o Nursery location and development/operation plans
o Road and trail alignment
o Existing structures and structures to be installed
MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
General Information
o Who will manage the various activities included in the plan
and how these will be carried out
o Comprehensive vegetative cover map
o Census of occupants
o Marketing plan
o Financial management
o Processing plan
o Other relevant information
MANAGEMENT /
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The Management/Development Plan

Shall be prepared collaboratively with the community

and shall be carried out as an on-the-job training
exercise for the residents

Shall provide detailed information for the first 3 years of

the PROJECT and indicative plans for the succeeding
years

Shall be updated at the end of the third year and every

five years thereafter