1. 1st Steering Committee Meeting
Minsk, October 1-3, 2013
COUNTRY PRESENTATION - GEORGIA
Первое заседание
Наблюдательного Комитета
Минск, 1-3 октября, 2013 года

2. 1. Recent Developments in the Forest Sector in Georgia
 Forest unit under the Ministry of Energy and Natural resources moved to the
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Three entities were
established: Forest Policy service, which is responsible for forest policy;
National Forestry Agency, responsible for the management of Georgian forest
and Environmental supervision service, which is responsible for control and
inspection of all activities, which might have negative impact on Environment.
 For Government long-term vision the Forest Policy document has been
worked out, which has become the subject of extensive discussion for
representatives of the different sectors, as well as the international donor
community. It will be submitted to the Government and the Parliament in the
near future.
 One of the main problems of Georgian forest management is long-term
licenses, issued by previous government without any inventory of forest areas
under the licenses. In addition these areas and companies were out of control
of forestry unit. The Ministry began to check all of the terms and conditions of
the license holder’s status, a schedule has been drawn up and gradually
implemented field inspection of licensed areas.

3. 2. Georgia on-going Activities (pre-SC Meeting)
 Completion of newly established forest related bodies has finished
around 900 staff were recruited by open procedures.
 In October of the current year it is planned to start inventory of
Borjomi-Bakuriani forests . The tender has been announced. The
Ministry will conduct an inventory together with the Austrian and
German specialists. They will carry out work at their own expenses
where our experience is less or insufficient (satellite images, climate
change related information and etc).
 The activities against the European spruce bark beetle ( ips
typographus L.) started in June of the current year, for what 5156 pieces
of pheromone catchers were bought by the National Forestry Agency.
They are placed in Samtskhe- Javakheti region. In particular, in
Borjomi-Bakuriani, Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni, Aspindza-Akhalkalaki forest
districts. Monitoring is in progress.

4. 3. Georgian Proposed Country Workplan (Year 1)
 Conduct meetings to (a) discuss regional adaptation of the
International Generic Indicators (IGIs) of FSC standards,
and (b) launch a National FSC Standard Development
Working Group for Georgia (WWF).
 Conduct analysis of the Georgian forestry sector in the
context of voluntary forest certification potential
(including market opportunities for certified products),
and prepare recommendations for applying key principles
of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards
(including HCV forest concept); lobby for their reflection
in Georgian legislation and policy priorities (WWF).

5. 3. Georgian Proposed Country Workplan (Year 1)
 Assessing economic, environmental, and social
impacts of long-term forestry licensing rules currently
in force(WB).
 Measuring the true value of natural resources for
community development (IUCN).
 Assess sanitary situation in Protected Area's forests in
Georgia and prepare recommendations (to be carried
out in selected Protected Areas of Georgia -IUCN).

6. 3. Georgian Proposed Country Workplan (Year 1)
 Conduct a regional-level assessment of the outcomes of
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
scoping studies (WWF).
 Support forest management at local level through
preparation of recommendations for development of
sustainable multipurpose forest management plans for
selected locally managed forests (Tusheti protected
landscape- IUCN).
 Design the strategic action plan for communicating key
massages to all stakeholders about the importance of
forests and principles of sustainable forests use (WB).

7. Merab Sharabidze