The Division of Forestry was established under the West New Britain Provincial Government to implement the Forestry Act 1991 by regulating forest activities such as logging and conservation to ensure sustainable use of provincial forest resources. As opposed to the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority (PNGFA), the division promotes small-scale, value-added downstream processing of forest products to support the livelihoods of the people of West New Britain Province. It aims to develop forest resources that meet the social, economic, and environmental needs of present and future generations.
Core Functions
The key functions of the Division of Forest include:
- Forest Management and Sustainability
- Forest-Based Enterprise Development and Downstream Processing
Key Responsibilities
The Division is responsible for:
- Develop and implement the Provincial Forest Plan in alignment with the National Forest Plan, ensuring it is tailored to local needs and achieves the forest development indicators of the Provincial Development Integrated Development Plan IV and the National Medium Term Development Plan IV.
- Monitoring and Compliance of forest activities in the province to ensure compliance with the National Forest Act 1991 and related governing legislations and policies.
- Rehabilitate degraded lands through reforestation and afforestation activities to ensure forest renewal for economic, social, and environmental benefits.
- Conducting forest research, survey, and inventory on natural & plantation forests.
- Conduct training on sawmill operations and non-timber forest product processing.
- Support and promote the downstream processing of forest products through local factory development.
Programs & Services
The Division delivers the following programs and services:
- Forest Management
The Forest Management plays a key leadership role in administering and overseeing core functions within the division and establishes partnership agreements with development partners and stakeholders on forestry-related matters such as downstream processing of timber, marketing, and other services. The management also ensures that forestry activities are conducted in a manner that promotes sustainability.
- Forest Commercialization
This program provides the service of empowering forest resource owners by supplying seedlings, establishing nurseries, and assisting with tree planting on logged or degraded areas and grasslands to restore biodiversity, forest cover, and economic value. The program also promotes agroforest development by using land use systems that integrate trees with crops. It further facilitates awareness and training for resource owners and sawmill operators on milling techniques, timber grading, marketing, and other forestry-related processes and regulations.
Structure & Leadership
The Division is headed by the Executive Manager, who oversees teams responsible for specific functional areas, including:
- General Office Administration
- Forest Commercialization
- Sawmilling Training and Technical Support
Strategic Focus
The Division is committed to:
- Downstream processing and Value Addition on Forest Products (Balsa and Timber)
- Sustainable Forest Management
- Reforestation and Forest Restoration
- Agroforest development
- Capacity Building and Community Empowerment
Contact Information
For enquiries related to this Division, please contact:
Division: Forestry
Phone:
Email: john.suarim@wnb.gov.pg
Location: Kimbe-Provincial Headquarters