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FMP 2025-2029

Variety Woods and Greenheart Ltd
FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025-2029
PUBLIC SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION
Variety Woods & Greenheart Ltd (VWL) is a Guyanese owned integrated forestry and saw-milling enterprise which was established on May 14, 1986. Its primary field operating base is located at Bamboo Landing on the left bank of the Berbice River, approximately 12.8km north of Kwakwani and 240km south of New Amsterdam.
Subsequently, and based on the acquisition of an Environmental Authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency after approval of VWL’s Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report, GFC granted VWL Timber Sales Agreement LC 02/2017 for a 10-year period with the option for its renewal.

Concession area: 132,865.92ha


The concession is being managed on a 40-year cutting cycle: the annual allowable cut is 13.33 m3 per hectare and the annual allowable area is 2,175.25 hectares (or 22 x 100ha blocks per year). The annual allowable cut is 28,921m3 of timber from at least 20 species. As usual, and due to differences in topography, drainage patterns and forest stocking, VWL will undertake extensive reconnaissance activity within intact areas to identify the blocks that will be harvested. Thereafter, the company outsources the pre-harvest inventory activity to a
contractor who will provide a tree location stock map for every block enumerated. Protected sites, buffer zones are duly marked on tree location maps, which allows for planning secondary and access roads and skid trails. Tree marking exercises- in which the trees to be felled (harvesting stock) are identified- and skid trail planning complete the planning process. AOP.
For period 2025-2029, Variety Woods and Greenheart Ltd will expand its wood processing capabilities and get more involved in retail timber sales in Regions 10 and 4. Sales of timber on the local market will include both air dried and kiln dried lumber respectively.
VWL will pursue third party validation of its forest management and related practices with a view to offering ‘certified timber’ to its customers, and guarantee access to European, Asian and North American timber markets.

VWL has a passion for forest conservation generally and wildlife conservation in particular. VWL will develop partnerships with the Protected Areas Commission and the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission to support its forest conservation initiatives

VWL will continue its strong track record in providing safe and rewarding employment to Guyanese and in supporting socio-economic and rural development in the hinterland regions, especially in the education and health sectors. In the management of TSA 02/2017, VWL recognizes the livelihood and rights of indigenous peoples.
VWL’s embrace of RIL and complementary SFM practices guarantee the conservation of forest resources, even in logged over areas. Special attention is paid to the conservation of fauna, and therefore their role in maintaining functional ecosystems. VWL also has a special interest in conserving the vast freshwater resources that characterizes Guyana’s landscapes.
The Company will utilize the resources of TSA 02/17 basically for the production of logs to feed its processing facilities in a manner that will deliver financial rewards in the most effective and efficient manner without degrading the bio-physical environment.

OBJECTIVES
Forest resources conservation is an integral part of and a necessary requirement for the development of TSA 02/17. VWL will strive to conserve the forest through proper management its timber resources.

Within this framework, company’s objectives are:

  • To harvest the forest at an optimum level sustainable level.
  • To organize its operations in such a manner so as to minimize adverse social and environmental
    impacts, ensures a safe working environment for employees, and as far as possible, address the
    interests of local communities.
  • To increase exports, especially for non-traditional species of timber, thereby ensuring that the current merchantable species are not over-harvested.
  • To encourage the maximization of value added ”down-stream” processing of various timber products
  • To encourage the utilization of wood-waste
  • To provide a continuous supply of high quality wood products for sale on both domestic and export markets.

POLICIES
The company’s HR Policies will be guided by the following principles and practices:

  • Prioritize the employment of Guyanese citizens;
  • Ensuring that where skills are not available locally – training is given priority so that locals could be
    recruited;
  • Pursuing constant on-the-job training to ensure that those recruited acquire the requisite skills;
  • Observing the health and safety regulations in Guyana with a view to protecting the welfare of all workers at all times;
  • Observing the labor laws of Guyana and any other relevant laws, rules and regulations consistent with the ILO Conventions to which Guyana is signatory.
  • Maintaining Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices for the purpose of ensuring all the social, cultural, economic and ecological functions are preserved;
  • To comply with all the Laws of Guyana and the regulations governing operations in the forest industry;
  • Adhering to sound and ethical management, business and industrial practices for the promotion of the forestry sector for both domestic and export markets;
  • To respect the integrity and exclusivity of all Amerindian lands legally held and to also allow the
    indigenous people to pursue their traditional life styles without hindrance;
  • Reflecting sensitivity and responsiveness to the needs and rights of all neighboring communities and other stakeholders through consultations, dialogue and dispute resolution procedure.

CONTRACTORS, STAFF AND TRAINING
VWL’s forest operations will comprise of permanent employees and contractors. Permanent employees form the core of the company’s workforce and include operators, mechanics and other technical, supervisory and managerial positions.
Contractors are engaged in mostly short term, high intensity activities including block demarcation, forest
inventory, road alignment and road construction.
The company has an active two-pronged local training program constituting of on-the-job training by matching experienced employees with unskilled employees and also engaging third party training institutions such as FTCI to provide field training in areas such as reduced impact logging, road construction etc. Training is provided to all who are involved in VWL operations since all employees and contractors are considered an integral part of the company’s operations.
VWL will continue to sponsor medical outreaches to various communities in the Rupununi, collaborating with medical organization to provide primary health care and free glasses to needy members of communities visited.
Employment of indigenous peoples: VWL employs up to 70% of its labor force from indigenous communities, affording them transportation to and from the concession, and paying competitive wages.

MEETING OBJECTIVES
VWL’s primary highlights during period 2019-2024 was its support for and embrace of the recently developed PEFC aligned ‘Guyana National Forest Management Standard and Certification System for Guyana’. The embrace of the standard and VWL’s submission to a rigorous audit or assessment is testimony to VWL’s rigorous adherence to the local legal framework. VWL has also time and again demonstrated its passion for forest conservation generally and wildlife conservation in particular to the extent that it attracted the interest of the PAC and GWCMC.
VWL has time and again, and more so during the period 2019 to 2024, consolidated itself as one of the most serious, responsible and initiative taking local logging company. As a consequence, the Company has benefitted from high profile visits from the global forestry community.

SILVICULTURE
The Company will practice selective harvesting to minimize damage to both the residual trees and the harvested logs. At this time, silviculture work for regeneration has been shown by the work done by Tropenbos in Mabura Hill, DTL concession, as being too costly an alternate to regeneration.
It is logical to assume that any felling within an area will create gaps in the upper canopy thus encouraging further growth from the lower canopy. This conform with the best system so far advocated which is the restriction of felling over to a minimum girth limit, itself a form of silvicultural treatment where the larger trees are felled, opening up the canopy – even sparsely – allowing the trees of the second upper tier to gain more light and forge ahead as the next cutting cycle.
The silvicultural system employed involves, the use of RIL, felling limits linked to dbh, and yield control. VWL’s obligatory biodiversity reserve is situateD on the southwestern boundary of the concession area.
The Annual Allowable Cut (ACC) is the volume of timber that may be harvested under management for one year. It is the total volume that can be harvested in a given year based on sustained yield principles. Sustained yield is defined as the volume of trees or other benefits that a forest can produce continuously at a given intensity of management. Annual Allowable Cut 1,156,844.44 m3 /40 years = 28,921.11 m3/yr

WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICIES & PRACTICES

  • The following notes summarize the main waste policies and practices that characterises VWL’s
    approach to environmental management:
  • Fuel, Oil, paint, and any other chemicals used will be stored in special facilities at least 200m from
    waterways.
  • Fuel and oil leakages will be avoided that may cause contamination and pollution of waterways (e.g.
    drainage (creeks or rivers) will be avoided at all costs. Oil changes for any machine will only be done
    designated areas. Waste oil that will be accumulated in changing oil of machine and generator may be re-used to service sawmill conveyors chains and rollers regularly or sold to a oil recycling plant at
    Soesdyke
  • No littering of any form will be tolerated. Covered bins for refuse will be put at designated positions and emptied on a weekly basis.
  • All domestic garbage will be disposed properly in garbage pits properly designed for the purpose. These pits will be set up at not less than 200m from any water course.
  • Residual liquids (‘grey water’) from domestic sources also represent waste; these will be drained into
    pits where the effluent will be allowed to soak into the ground; due care being taken to prevent domestic effluent from flowing directly into water courses. Pit latrines will be used at forward camps, while for the main administrative base camp (Base 10 ) septic tanks are provided.
  • Waste from machinery that include: discarded tyres, used oil and lubricants generated from the
    servicing of generators and sawmill machinery will be stored in plastic drums and confined in a store
    room before it will be disposed properly.
  • All wood waste will be buried in shallow pits or put into natural depressions to degrade naturally and add to the organic content of the soil.

BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECTION
VWL’s employees and and contractors are prohibited from hunting, trapping, killing or capturing of any wildlife. However, this prohibition does not apply to indigenous peoples engaged in hunting or trapping of wildlife for their domestic.
The concept of HCVF in Guyana is a relatively new phenomenon that is receiving the attention of the GFC.
Meanwhile, the company treats every hectare of forest with the same respect, and where there are areas with apparent extraordinary attributes, the company has of its own accord initiated special conservation measures, for example, the right bank Demerara river in the vicinity of Canister Fall. VWL will take a number of actions intended to prevent or reduce the risks of environmental degradation.
Currently, there is no evidence of any illegal logging activities occurring on the concession. However, VWL will conduct scheduled and random monitoring of the entire concession area to stymy illegal logging. (Forest officers are stationed at Bamboo Landing and at Base 10 Camp respectively).
VWL’s employees and contractors are not permitted light fires on the forest floor. Fire extinguishers are to be placed on vehicles and at all fixed workspaces.
Through extension programmes, VWL will instruct its workers on the prevention of pests and diseases in their living environment. Regular inspections by governmental agencies are requested and anticipated, for instance to control malaria and other prevailing diseases.
Facilities will be constructed to safely store fuel, lubricants and chemicals, far enough from waterway. Logs and lumber are not treated with preservatives.
For regular maintenance, repairs and cleaning of equipment, the workshops are designed so that chemicals and lubricants can be collected, stored and processed effectively without the risk of leaking toward groundwater or streams. It is not allowed to wash logging machines in creeks or lakes. Appropriate safety and protective gears will be utilized by personnel at all times during the relevant exercises with regard to the above.

MONITORING
The Company doesn’t have previous or current research activities, but plan is underway to establish Permanent Sample Plots to monitor the impact of its logging operations and work along with research groups.
VWL is willing to work with the GFC and other stakeholders to set up a system of Permanent Sample Plots to monitor:

  • Logging damage
  • Regeneration
  • Growth
  • Provide data for determining sustained yield

Permanent Sample Plots would form the core of the company’s mechanism for monitoring the effects of logging on the forest ecosystem. Further, the Company would work with the GFC to conduct Post Harvest Assessment Activities as data collected from this exercise would further guide the company in improving their practices.
Monitoring is important for ensuring implementation of the Environmental Management Plan developed by the company for assessing the effectiveness of the measures set out in the plan and identifying the actual environmental impacts of the forest management practices. Compliance with the measures set out in this plan will be reported on an annual basis to the EPA. VWL will also facilitate the EPA’s inspection visits.
The Company Forester and Block Inspectors are directly responsible for monitoring the effects of logging. The Block Inspection System is executed by using the guidelines set out by the GFC and reporting form adopted from the GFC Code of Practice.
VWL is willing to cooperate with any agency approved by the GFC and the EPA. VWL would coordinate and assist in any way possible other resource users as long as our intentions are mutual i.e. sustainable utilization of the forest resources in an environmentally sound manner.

SOCIAL ISSUES
VWL takes pride in providing care and welfare to its workers. The company realises that a healthy and safe working environment will not only contribute to the satisfaction of workers, but also to their involvement and productivity. The company has consistently invested in the well being of its personnel in the forest, at the mill site and in the office.
Many employees have been trained on the job by senior technicians. A programme is in preparation to structure these practical training and to involve external instructors from FTCI). Training is important, because the need for skilled labour is growing.
VWL also pays attention to the education of the families of its workers. A primary school with two teachers offers space to 40 pupils including a few from Amerindian villages close to Bamboo Landing. The company’s church on the site plays a significant role in spiritual upliftment and socialising within community.
The training of staff for employees generally focus on:

  • Directional felling
  • Skidding and winching methods
  • Timber grading
  • Wood identification
  • Tree identification
  • Forest inventory

It is the policy of VWL to employ people of all races, ethnicity’s, gender, religions and political persuasions. VWL makes personal agreements with its employees, which include:

  • Reasonable wages and salaries
  • Health care
  • Provision of housing and school facilities
  • Fringe benefits related to work performance
  • Promotion opportunities
  • Interest free credit facilities.

The company’s interactions with its employees on the aspect of Occupational Health and Safety and Employees Welfare is addressed by means of regular meetings. Such meetings with its employees will enable the company’s management staff to assess what issues are important for its employees. The company will ensure that working conditions of its employees meet the national health and safety requirements and the requirements stipulated in ILO guidelines for forest workers.
The Company has a designated facility at Bamboo Landing for a medical clinic and is currently negotiating with the Regional Democratic Council of Region for a full time medical personnel to be assigned to run this facility to provide health care to employees, families and communities. This would also be the first point of treatment in the event of a medical emergency prior to transfer of the patient to a more established medical institution capable of handling the situation. In addition to the medical centre at Bamboo Landing all major field camps would be equipped with first aid kits to treat minor medical cases such as cuts, bruises, headaches etc.
All field locations are equipped with field transport vehicles to transport cases of emergencies to Bamboo
Landing where a fully equipped ambulance is always on standby. Emergency cases in the interim would be taken to the Kwakwani District Hospital for treatment. If necessary the patient can be evacuated to Georgetown from Kwakwani by aircraft. In addition, in emergency cases where the patient is stable, the ambulance would be used to transport the patient to the Linden Hospital or a Hospital in Georgetown.


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