The Forestry Training Centre Incorporated (FTCI) and the Iwokrama Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, in collaboration with Tropenbos International and the European Commission, will be hosting a Regional Workshop on Chainsaw Milling in the Guiana Shield/ Caribbean, at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana, today and tomorrow.

The regional workshop is one of the activities of the Chainsaw Milling Project.

The Chainsaw Milling Project is financed by the European Commission and is being implemented by Tropenbos International (TBI) based in the Netherlands, through two local partners in Guyana: Iwokrama and FTCI. The partners in Ghana are the Ghana Forestry Commission (FC) and the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG)).

This regional caucus will provide a forum for decision makers and scientists in the region to present and review issues and options relating to chainsaw lumbering/milling in their respective countries.

The countries participating at the workshop include Belize, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Ghana. A case study on Bolivia will also be presented. A similar workshop was conducted in Ghana.

At the wider project level, the findings from the regional meetings will be summarized in a synthesis paper that will be discussed and refined during an e-conference with participation from experts around the globe and published in the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN) News for the benefit of policy makers worldwide.

At the local level, FTCI and Iwokrama will be culling ideas presented at this workshop for further discussions by local stakeholders and policy makers with a view to ensuring that local chainsaw milling practices are firmly aligned with sustainable forest management practices generally, and with other forest based developmental initiatives in particular.

For further information, please contact:
Ms. Rohini Kerrett
Project Coordinator
Chainsaw Milling Project Secretariat
Forestry Training Centre Inc.
1 Water Street, Kingston
Georgetown

Tel: (592) 227 0724; Fax: (592) 223 5061

Email: chainsawproject@gmail.com