KEY STANDARDS FOR LOGGING IN THE HIGH FOREST ZONE OF GHANA. Country/Territory Ghana Document type Miscellaneous Date 1998 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Forestry Keyword Authorization/permit Collecting/harvesting Contract/agreement Cultural heritage Erosion Forest fires Forest management/forest conservation Forest service/forest officers Forest species Forestry protection measures Timber extraction/logging Marking/identification Non-timber products Protected area Protection forest Registration Soil conservation/soil improvement Timber Zoning Geographical area Africa, North Atlantic, Western Africa Abstract The procedures in the manual will provide staff of the Forest Service with the essential information for the preparation of management plans and to ensure that timber production areas within the High Forest are managed in accordance with the regulations relating to the timber utilisation contracts defined in the Timber Resources Management Act. This text sets the standards for logging in the high forest of Ghana. Forest are zoned into production and protection areas, which are identified by the text. Logging is only permitted in the Timber Production Areas, which are to be clearly identified and divided into compartments. >For each of them, Compartment Plans covering 5 years periods are prepared. The main components of a Compartment Plan are: roads and tracks, bridges and main culverts, areas were soil erosion control is needed, location of proposed log dumps; streams and areas of coarse grained protection. Stock surveys are carried out by the Forest Service to provide information on location of all commercial species over 50 cm diameter, special or protected tree species, environmentally sensitive areas that have to be excluded from the harvest. Areas were logging is not allowed are defined. Technical guidance is provided for logging. It is specified that only two compartments can be open at any time. Responsibilities are set uo on contractors: minimize the danger of fire, respect those areas identified as protection areas, respect Social Responsibility Agreements (agreements between the land owners and the contractor). Full text English Website www.oldwebsite.fcghana.org References - Legislation Implements Timber Resource Management Act, 1997 - Act 547 Legislation | Ghana | 1998 (2002) Keyword: Basic legislation, Timber extraction/logging, Institution, Contract/agreement, Offences/penalties, Authorization/permit, Forest management/forest conservation Source: FAO, FAOLEX