[MPWG] Non-timber Forest Products Fact Sheet

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

Below, I have pasted an NTFP Fact Sheet, created by the NTFP Working Group
of the National Network of Forest Practitioners.  I also included an
attachment with the formatted document incase you would like to print it
out...Read on....-Patricia


                 National Network of Forest Practitioners
                Working Group on Nontimber Forest Products

                Nontimber Forest Product (NTFP) Fact Sheet




What are Nontimber Forest Products?

   NTFPs are thousands of species of plants harvested throughout the United
   States.  They include medicinal plants (like ginseng, goldenseal), wild
   foods (such as mushrooms, berries, roots, syrups), decoratives and
   floral greens (like salal, ferns, boughs), flavors and fragrances
   (sassafras, balsam fir), fibers (cedar bark, sweet grass, lichen), wild
   native seeds and transplants (for restoration and nursery stock), plant
   dyes, arts and crafts materials, and resins and saps (turpentine).


Why Do People Gather NTFPs?

   People gather NTFPs for a variety of reasons, including for subsistence,
   cultural, spiritual, commercial, recreational and educational purposes.
   .


What are key issues concerning NTFPs?


      q  Forest managers often ignore the economic, ecological, and
         cultural values of NTFPs and the tens of thousands of people who
         harvest them.

      q  Harvesters come from diverse ethnic, class, gender, age and
         cultural backgrounds, but cultural use patterns are often
         neglected in management plans.

      q  NTFP Inventory and monitoring efforts by scientists are minimal.

      q  Forest management practices such as logging and grazing can
         adversely impact NTFP harvests with unknown economic, ecological
         and cultural losses

      q  Tribes and other groups have legal gathering rights that must be
         addressed in forest management and policy.

      q  Lease systems that favor large businesses can undermine the
         thousands of independent harvesters and small businesses that
         characterize commercial NTFP industries.

      q  Despite the growing economic importance of NTFPs, federal and
         state land management agencies continue to cut research budgets
         and staff, decreasing their ability to become informed.



A win-win situation for all!

   Active management for NTFPs will enhance forest biodiversity and at the
   same time increase economic diversity and stability for rural forest
   communities and the national economy.




Recommendations:

      q  Accord due importance to NTFP issues in forest planning and
         management.  NTFP harvesting should no longer be considered a
         minor forest activity. It deserves to be approached with the same
         level of funding and staff responsibility as other major forest
         activities, such as timber, recreation, grazing, wildlife
         management, and mining.

      q  Actively manage for NTFPs to create sustainable forestry jobs and
         local economic development.  This includes publicizing NTFP
         availability and sustainable harvesting opportunities.

      q  Improve National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) scoping
         efforts so that NTFP harvester's voices are heard.

      q  Enhance forest inventory and monitoring programs so that managers
         understand what NTFPs occur on their forests and how different
         management practices impact NTFPs.

      q  Involve harvesters in inventorying and monitoring.  Like other
         government programs have discovered, local people can be an
         important asset in inventorying and monitoring.  For example, NTFP
         harvesters are regularly in the forest making observations, and
         often exhibit stewardship attitudes and concern for protecting the
         resources they harvest.

      q  Protect habitats where harvesters gather to ensure long-term
         resource supply.

      q  Maintain access to harvesting areas.


Additional Information

      q  National Network of Forest Practitioners - Nontimber Forest
         Products Working Group (Contacts: Ajit Krishnaswamy ajit at nnfp.org;
         Penny Frazier penny at pinenut.com)

      q  Alliance of Forest Workers and Harvesters (Contacts: Denise Smith
         alliancefwh at pcweb.net; Sherlette Colegrove scolegrove at pcweb.net;
         Leilani Jones witchpecjones at aol.com)

      q  The Institute for Culture and Ecology provides nonpartisan
         scientific research and resources (Email  ifcae at ifcae.org  Website
         www.ifcae.org/ntfp/)

      q  Forestry Action Committee (Contact: Susan Chapp
         forestryaction at cavenet.com)

      q  Rural Action (Contact: Colin Donahue colin at ruralaction.org)

      q  Virginia Tech maintains an economic development website on NTFPs
(Website www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/)

(See attached file: NNFP NTFP WG Fact Sheet.doc)

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

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