NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMUNAL FOREST AND PASTURES

THE FARMER FOREST

The farmer named Hasan Alia is permanent resident in Petkaj village of Malzi commune and nearby his house; he has got some forest areas. One of these areas is that one situated in sub parcel 86/a of Dukagjin forest economy in Kukes district. More

“CONSERVATION AND THE REHABILITATION OF THE ENGLISH WALNUT IN ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ON THE VAL-MARTANESH REGION. ALBANIA”

Prepared by Dr. Gazmend Zeneli and M.Sc. Haki Kola

English walnut (Juglans regia L.) (Juglandaceae) is a very important hardwood species in Albania growing in many parts of the country where the climate is suitable for walnut growing. The need for conservation of this species is based on some of its characteristics, such as the scattered distribution of the species, the limited extension of the stands, and its precious timber, greatly appreciated for many uses. The Val-Martanesh population is perhaps the most valuable with individuals of outstanding qualities both in pomological and wood traits, being the last viable remnant of wild walnut populations in Albania. However, due to its high value, the species has been aggressively harvested, creating a limited supply of quality walnut trees. This natural population is under threat from a combination of human activities, chiefly fuel wood collection, grazing and pole cutting. More | Comment

R E P O R T

on the

NATIONAL SEMINAR

“Improvement of the Legal Framework for Sustainable Management of Communal Forests and Pastures in Albania”

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Water Administration and the National Association of Communal Forests and Pastures with SNV, SIDA and World Bank support has organized at Hotel Tirana International a two day seminar in 12-13 March 2008 on “Improvement of the Legal Framework for Sustainable Management of Communal Forests and Pastures in Albania”The seminar aimed to facilitate an open and constructive dialogue between key stakeholders in Albania on the legal framework that is related with management of natural resources (forests, pastures, etc.) in ownership/use of Local Government Units (LGUs), family/village groups, or individuals, and to discuss necessary improvements of related laws and bylaws. The seminar aimed also to assess the gaps and ambiguities of the actual legal framework and to make clear proposals on the improvement of the existing legislation.

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European Forest Week 2008

European Forest Week 2008 celebrates the contribution of European forests in mitigating climate change, providing wood and renewable energy, securing the supply of fresh water and protecting our environment.

The week was declared by the ministers responsible for forests of 46 European countries and is being jointly organized by the European Commission , the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , in close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, France.
During the week of 20-24 October, a series of meetings will be held by these entities and other European forestry-related partners at the Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Rome events will bring together hundreds of individuals from governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, regional and international networks, United Nations agencies and the private sector. Senior forestry and other sector-related officials from all over Europe will attend. The meetings will provide a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders and forest managers to share perspectives and seek solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today: climate change, energy and water. Link to the Website

“The status of non-state forestry in South East Europe ”

Conference in Skopje , Macedonia , 30.06 – 02.07.2008

Representatives of forest owner associations and state responsibles from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro as well as forestry experts from the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Netherlands Development Agency (SNV), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) participated in the conference and discussed a broad range of issues related to the management and administration of non-state forests in South-East Europe. More

Phenotypic variation in native walnut populations
of Northern Albania

Abstract

Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae) germplasm from the region of Dibra, located in the northeastern
part of Albania, was evaluated to determine the variability in walnut germplasm and to identify
promising material for preservation. Considerable genetic variation in pomological and phenological
characteristics was found in native trees which were of seedling origin. Variability found in nut
weight was between 3.8 and 21.1 g, in kernel weight between 1.85 and 9.8 g, in weight kernel/weight
nut ratio between 32.6 and 63.8% and in fat content between 42.0 and 71.5%. Nut size, bud breaking
time, nut maturity time and phenological characteristics, were also evaluated. The obtained data
indicate that the walnut trees studied in this region fall into seven botanical varieties. More

Main Findings of MID TERM REVIEW MISSION

June 9-25, 2008

A Mid-term review Mission of the World Bank and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Dutch Organization for Development (SNV) was carried out from June 9 -25, 2008, to assess the progress in the implementation of the Albania Natural Resources Development Project (NRDP). More

The Man Who Planted Trees

by JEAN GIONO

About forty years ago I went on a long hike, through hills absolutely unknown to tourists, in that very old region where the Alps penetrate into Provence .
This region is bounded to the south-east and south by the middle course of the Durance, between Sisteron and Mirabeau; to the north by the upper course of the Drôme, from its source down to Die; to the west by the plains of Comtat Venaissin and the outskirts of Mont Ventoux. It includes all the northern part of the Département of Basses-Alpes, the south of Drôme and a little enclave of Vaucluse.
At the time I undertook my long walk through this deserted region, it consisted of barren and monotonous lands, at about 1200 to 1300 meters above sea level. Nothing grew there except wild lavender. More

FOREST AS A SAEFTY NET FOR THE POOR

Prepared by: Haki Kola, Maxhun Dida, Vasillaq Mine, Hilmar Foellmi and Janaq Male

More than half of the country's surface is classified as forests (1026000 ha) and pastures (446000 ha), and more than 50% of population still live in these rural areas. All forest and pasture areas are administrated and managed by the Directorate General of forest and pasture (DGFP). No other sector has such a fundamental impact on Albania's poverty-stricken rural population as the forest and pasture sector.
Albanian society has undergone a fundamental transition since 1990, marked by changes in the production structures, high unemployment, unprecedented emigration, changes to the family structure and to the socio-economic dynamics within the family itself. Compared to other sectors, the forestry sector has suffered greatly from this transition.
In Albania, poverty reduction is a national objective and most projects or programmes have at least a partial objective to reduce the nation's poverty. More

EFFECTS OF THE ALBANIA FORESTRY PROJECT ON POVERTY REDUCTION

No other sector has such a fundamental impact on Albania’s poverty stricken rural population as the forest and pasture sector. More than half of the country’s surface is classified as forests (1026000 ha) and pastures (446000 ha), and it is in these rural areas where poverty is the most extreme. In Albania, poverty reduction is a national objective and most projects or programmes have at least a partial objective to reduce the nations poverty. Thus project impact assessments are of great importance for the government and for donors to find out how well project objectives are being achieved. It is with this perspective that the effects of the Albania Forestry Project (FP) on Poverty Reduction have been assessed. More

THE STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FORESTRY AND PASTURES SECTOR IN ALBANIA

In the implementation of the government program and the instructions of the President of our Republic, that emphasize the urgent need to re-examine the long term strategy of development of forest and pasture sector, DGFP has worked in order to a more complete strategy of this sector. More

Draft Report on the Development of a National Forest Fire Management Strategy and Action Plan for Albania

Albania , despite its very small territory, is one of the European countries with rich vegetation, which originated during the Tertiary era. Today's vegetation of Albania is composed of endemic relic vegetation and of species that have invaded from neighbouring regions thought migration, having phytogenetic similarities with floristic elements of neighbouring countries. More

CHANGELES TO ACCEPT THE FOREST FAMILY

The “visibility” project for family forestry

“ What kinds of forests are there in the world?” If we could put this question to a cross section of city people and opinion leaders around the country, there is good reason to believe that the answer we would get from most people including many leaders of forestry agencies would be: “Well, there are two kinds of forests. There are natural forests with no people, except, that is, for tourists and park rangers and poachers. And then there are industrial forests, plantations and so on, managed for one purpose, to produce raw material for industry. There are those two kinds of forests”. There is a third type of forest. It is owned, used, managed, and protected in various ways by families and communities. It does not fit the simplistic description of forests of the first and second type. Management is generally on a small scale, and for a wide range of uses, products and services. It has huge importance for the rural economies, the stability of communities, and the health of the environment of most of the inhabited rural countryside right around the world. Because our individual operations are usually very small scale, and part of what appears to be a chaotic and incomprehensible mish-mash of activities carried out by rural people, this third type of forest is largely invisible to most city people and government forest planners. The contribution we are making is not valued and the potential for substantial increases in that contribution is not understood. More

ANALYSIS OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK
ON THE COMMUNAL FORESTS AND PASTURES
IN ALBANIA

Prepared by: Prof. Dr. Vezir Muharremaj
January 2008

In partnership with:

Netherlands Development Program and Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration

In the framework of policies for decentralization of the natural resources management and the legalization of the long existing informality in the possession of forests and pastures close to villages, and the EU integration, the process of forest and pastures transfer under the ownership or use of communes or municipalities has become a problem for the central government and the local government units, users (villages, agricultural families) and the associations throughout the country. The legal and sub-legal acts enacted after the '90, such as the law on forests, the law on pastures and meadows, regulation No. 308 date 26.01.1996 “On the transfer of the communal forests and pastures under use and administration”, the law on local government (2000), on the public property and on their transfer (2001), etc., have made possible the transfer of forests and pastures under communal use. In cooperation with GDFP, the local government units and the forestry service in the districts, the transfer started since 1996, with the technical and financial support of the World Bank Forestry Project (WB/FP), of the Albania Private Forestry Development Programme (APFDP) financed by the USAID, and continue to support this process: the Natural Resources Development Project, SNV (the Dutch Organization for Development) and other international organizations. In the Directorate of Forest and Pasture Policies of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Water Administration (MEFWA), is already functioning a sector of Communal Forests.

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