FAO model code of forest harvesting practic Chapter 2 Harvest planning What it isGuiding principlesObjectivesPotential consequences of inadequate planningRecommended practicesWhat it isPlanning of timber harvests is one part of overall forest management planning, which is itself a component of comprehensive land-use planning.Harvest plans are of two types: strategic and tactical. The strategic harvest plan, prepared by the forest planning team, is a long-term plan that answers the following questions for the forest or concession area as a whole:- what type of harvesting must be done;- why it must be done;- where it must be done;- when it should be done.The strategic harvest plan should demarcate non-harvest areas, divide the harvestable forest into annual operating areas (coupes) and design the main transportation system.The tactical harvest plan, prepared by the team directly responsible for supervision of harvesting operations, is a short-term plan that answers the following questions for each coupe:- how the harvesting is to be done, in detail;- who will carry out the operations;- when each part of the coupe should be harvested.Guiding principlesForest harvesting operations are most likely to meet economic, silvicultural, environmental and social objectives if they are carried out as outlined in a properly prepared harvest plan.Before harvest planning is initiated, a comprehensive land-use plan should be completed to identify the permanent forest estate and the portions of this estate on which timber harvesting will be permitted. Areas where forest plantations will be established should be identified and quantified. The land-use plan should also show areas of forest, if any, from which the trees are to be removed so that the land can be used for other purposes such as agriculture. Commercial timber harvesting is normally permitted in these areas of conversion forest, but it must be recognized that such harvesting is inherently unsustainable. This model code of practice does not explicitly consider harvesting in conversion forests, although practices similar to those recommended in these guidelines would be appropriate in such situations in order to best preserve the environment during the conversion process.An essential requirement for strategic harvest planning is the development of a comprehensive forest management plan. It is important to remember that harvest planning by itself is not forest planning; the harvest plan is only one part of a complete forest management plan. It is unquestionably an important part, however, since harvesting generates revenues and provides an opportunity to modify the forest so that it can contribute most effectively to economic, social and environmental objectives. But harvest planning cannot be done in isolation from forest planning; the two are complementary and should be undertaken simultaneously by an interdisciplinary planning team that includes foresters, ecologists, logging specialists, engineers, wildlife biologists and other individuals representing specialities in the social sciences.Comprehensive harvest planning is essential in order to set the stage properly to enable sustainable harvesting practices to be followed, and also to reconcile the need for greater technical control during harvesting with the need to reduce harvesting costs simultaneously. Many logging operators believe that environmental protection can only be achieved through costly measures that will drive them to the brink of bankruptcy. This is simply not true. The experience of operators who develop thorough harvest plans and then carry out the operations as specified in these plans has demonstrated clearly that these procedures not only improve operational control and reduce environmental impacts, but can also reduce costs and substantially increase profits.Effective planning is one of the most essential requirements for successful, environmentally sound forest harvesting.ObjectivesStrategic and tactical harvest plans should specify ways of:- optimizing harvesting production rates;- minimizing environmental and other impacts associated with harvesting operations;- accommodating the needs and wishes of local communities and indigenous peoples and making provisions for their participation in making decisions about harvesting operations and in benefiting financially and economically from those operations;- providing efficient access to the forest for silvicultural, protection and transport purposes;- minimizing harvesting and transport costs, subject to constraints imposed by environmental, ecological and social considerations;- identifying opportunities to coordinate timber harvesting with the collection of non-timber forest products;- avoiding scheduling problems;- providing for flexibility so that the plans can be changed to take advantage of new information or changing situations;- protecting the health and safety o