Reduced Impact Logging

Introduction

It is nowadays a widely held belief in the forest sector that for the achievement of sustainable forest management it is necessary to work according to best practise Reduced Impact Logging (RIL). This view is propagated by influential institutes like the ITTO, FAO, CIFOR, FSC and timber companies leading the market of sustainable tropical forest management.

RIL is therefore a prerequisite for companies that stand for sustainable, efficient and state of the art forest management. 

Many forest management companies realise this and want to make sure they achieve a high standard of RIL capacities. Therefore they wish to find instructors with the right experience and knowhow to assist them in reaching the desired level of RIL performance.

FORM Ghana (FORM) is specialised in the implementation of RIL techniques as well as training others in these techniques. Forest management companies therefore increasingly make use of our services to meet their demands to improve their RIL capacities.

FORM offers a comprehensive RIL course, which includes a felling training and a study of a client's current logging practices, to investigate specific areas of attention for the improvement and implementation of RIL techniques. This document provides an overview of the FORM Ghana RIL training service.

What is RIL?

RIL comprises practical techniques and concepts of organising and planning of timber harvesting. The primary objective is damage reduction of the wood in and around the forest, with a proximate goal of improving the efficiency of the operation. Directional felling, improved planning and communication, road layout and maintenance and improved skidding operations are examples of RIL techniques. Other elements of RIL include improved crosscutting, vine cutting, proper inventories, monitoring and co-ordination and post-harvest evaluation. The combination of improved efficiency and minimised damage is fundamental for differentiating between RIL and conventional techniques.

The advantages of RIL techniques compared to conventional techniques can be summarised as follows:

• Reduced damage to the residual stand,
• Improved safety of forest operations,
• Higher area efficiency, hence reduced impact on the environment,
• Increased efficiency of machine time, fuel consumption and man hours,
• Increased yield in timber (per tree and surface area).

A study by FORM in Cameroon has shown that during harvesting operations, industrial volume losses of 20 to 30% can occur.

These losses occur due to:

• Incorrect felling, which results in damage to the felled tree and damage to other commercial species in the residual stand
• Careless crosscutting and bucking of trees
• The inability to find trees that have been felled.

Furthermore, certain species are susceptible to splitting, cracking and the forming of ring shakes; problems that can be solved by improved felling techniques.

Currently little is done to reduce this waste, as it is often seen as unavoidable loss. Experience by FORM in various projects in Cameroon, Congo, Guyana, Ghana and Gabon has proved that with appropriate instruction and training, a substantial part of these losses can be prevented or reduced.

Target group

This service is intended for individual timber companies, from small to large size, who wish to make their logging operations more sustainable and efficient or wish to keep their staff up to date through additional training on the most recent RIL developments and insights.

The training course can be adapted to specific client needs or capacity gaps at the field and management level. The field and management levels are closely related; FORM therefore makes an inclusive professional gap analysis in close consultation with the client to provide an optimal training course that connects and strengthens these two levels of operation.

FORM's experience

FORM has longstanding experience of delivering state of the art RIL training courses to market leaders in sustainable tropical forest management to comply with for example FSC requirements.

As early as 1992 the first FORM trainings were in place and since then the training modules have been improved and updated constantly. Customer satisfaction was always our main target and feedback from our clients has been incorporated in the service with outstanding results.

Contents of the service

The general objective of the RIL course is to enable the client to optimally implement RIL techniques in the sustainable management of forest under their management.

This will be achieved through technical assistance at the management level and field training of employees in the implementation of RIL techniques. Training is possible in the following subjects:

• Management planning;
• Forest inventory;
• Road planning and construction;
• Felling and crosscutting.
• Log extraction planning;
• Skidding;
• Siding operations;
• First aid;
• Post harvest treatments;

The client's needs for particular training subjects are determined prior to the training, after which the desired training contents are compiled to meet the client's demands.

This service comprises expansion of the client's knowledge of RIL practices through the felling training, assistance to the forest manager and the identification of additional areas for improvement (road planning and construction, skidding, log treatment, etc.).

The training and instruction needs to occur at two levels for the successful implementation of these techniques, namely in the field and at a managerial level. Experience has shown that forestry workers do not apply the newly acquired skills unless the manager fully supports and stimulates them.

In the field, the forestry workers need to be trained in appropriate techniques. At the managerial level technical assistance is required for the successful implementation of RIL techniques in the field. This assistance includes help with planning, supervision, communication and the development of an incentive system to ensure that the newly acquired skills are implemented.

Benefits for the client

This service results in clear sustainability and efficiency benefits for the client on the following aspects:

1. Improved yield

• Reduction of loss in volume due to incorrect felling.
• Reduction of damage to residual stand, due directional felling techniques.
• Increased efficiency of machinery, fuel consumption and man power
• Increased incentives for the workers to work efficiently (such as a bonus system).

 2. Improved health and safety conditions

• Reduction of accidents during felling activities.
• Better working conditions, which positively influence productivity

3. Recommendations to the forest manager for areas of improvement

• Advice on how to implement these improvements
• A management model, with an incentive, supervision and monitoring system, for the implementation of RIL techniques.
• If necessary additional training can be given in other areas such as inventory methods, road construction and extraction methods.

These improvements in technical, economic, safety and ecological performance make Reduced Impact Logging a vital element of sustainable forest management. Any company pursueing sustainable forest management should have state of the art knowledge of the techniques and best practises that are offered in the FORM RIL course.

FORM is able to bring a client to an excellent level of RIL capabilities as to meet sustainable forest management requirements of for example FSC.

Module Specifications

 

Training	Intended audience	Maximum number of people trained per session	Time needed
Management planning	Engineers, logging managers	3	6 days
Forest inventory	Engineers, botanists, inventory team	7	6 days
Road planning and construction	Logging manager, conductors	3	8 days
Felling and crosscutting	Fellers and helpers	4	7 days
Log extraction planning	Logging manager, engineer and tractor drivers	4	2 days
Skidding	Tractor drivers, logging manager	3	6 days
Siding operations	Clerck, cross cutter, loader	4	3 days
First aid	All personnel	15	1 day
Post harvest treatments	Logging manager	4	2 days