High Conservation Values Forests of the European

North of RussiaApproaches to conservation and sustainable use

WorkshopSyktyvkar, 1st April 2009

christopher@hcvnetwork.org www.hcvnetwork.org

Dr Christopher Stewart – HCV Network Manager

HCV Network aims for this meeting

• Sustainable forest management - status in N. Russia

• Broad discussion of HCVF in N. Russia – evolving definitions, identification, management

• Sharing experience of HCV identification and management in rest of world

• Understanding what HCV concept can, and cannot achieve within FSC certification context in N. Russia

• Seek consensus on HCV definitions and management in Russia

• Seek consistency with rest of world

• Seek ways for HCV Network to support Russian stakeholders to progress conservation and sustainable use goals

High Conservation Values

A powerful tool for promoting conservation within productive landscapes

Syktyvkar, 1st April 2009

christopher@hcvnetwork.org www.hcvnetwork.org

Dr Christopher Stewart – HCV Network Manager

History

• Devised by Forest Stewardship Council in 1999– Solution to debates over ‘primary forest’, ‘old-growth

forest’, ‘well-developed forest’…– Focuses on exceptional values and how to maintain

them– Implications: all forests have a value but some are more

important than others– If HCVs are present, specific precautions are necessary

• Toolkit developed by ProForest in 2003• HCV concept very widely adopted in other (non-

FSC) schemes• Now entering a critical phase of testing in non-

forest and conversion contexts

What is the HCV framework?

• A set of explicit criteria (the six HCVs)

• An assessment process for conservation priorities

• A management decision tool

• A key component of major sustainability standards

Definitions•High Conservation Value (HCV) – a biological, ecological, social or cultural value of outstanding significance or critical importance at the national, regional or global scale.

•HCV Forest or Area - An area which possesses one or more HCV attributes (1+ of the 6 values)and•HCV Management Area- The area that needs to be appropriately managed to maintain or enhance HCVs

Ecosystems

HCV3 - Rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems.

The six High Conservation Values (I)

BiodiversityHCV1 - Significant concentrations of biodiversity values (RTE species, endemics, migratory etc).

LandscapesHCV2 – Landscape-level areas (e.g. forests) where species exist in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.

Ecosystem servicesHCV4 - Basic ecosystem services in critical situations.

LivelihoodsHCV 5 - Basic needs of local communities.

Cultural identityHCV6 - Local communities’ traditional cultural

identity

The six High Conservation Values (II)

Consultatio

n

Manage

Monitor

Identify

The HCV processThe HCV process

HCV management

• HCVs are identified and located in space

• HCV management defined within specific areas (from punctual sites up to whole concessions)

• Management should be specific for each HCV, but some measures may maintain several HCVs

• Minimum requirement: must not damage HCVs

• Appropriate forest management operations are permitted (range of measures from conservation areas, restoration, to sustainable use of forest resources)

• Should be designed in consultation with forest stakeholders

• Should be monitored for continuous improvement

HCV process at different scales• At the project or site scale:

– Requires that critical values are identified and managed

– Ensures they are not harmed or destroyed by management operations

– Industry-level responsibility

• At the landscape scale:

– Systematic framework for identifying multiple conservation benefits

– Provides context for site-level HCV assessments

– Responsibility shared by many stakeholders

Major processes using HCV

• Active commodity certification schemes

– FSC, MTCC, RSPO (Palm Oil)

• Natural resource sustainability standards

– Basel Criteria + RTRS (soy), RTFO, RSB, Cramer Principles (Biofuels)

– Climate Carbon and Biodiversity Alliance (Carbon)

• Purchasing and investment policies

– Many banks, manufacturers, retailers

• National /regional land use planning

– National/regional guidelines (Bulgaria, Romania… Russia*, China*, Indonesia*)

– NGO national conservation priority mapping

A few organisations with a stake in HCV…

FSC certificates, Jan 09

HCVs and conversion

• The HCV approach can be used with any type of land cover (grassland, wetland, forest…)

• No conversion where this would adversely impact a HCV

• Landscape context critical to decision making

• Need to deliver maps and guidance ahead of the expansion frontier

• Challenges include:

– Shared and appropriate methodologies

– Consistency of application

– Capacity building

Safeguards• HCV is a decision-

making framework, not a stand-alone guarantee of sustainability

• Precautionary approach

• Issues of land tenure and legality

• Requires governance and monitoring