Fideicomiso de Recursos Naturales de la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca

Union de Communidades Zapoteca-Chinantecas (UZACHI)

Union de Communidades Ixtlan-Etla (IXETO)

Estudios Rurales y Asesoria Campesina, A.C. (ERA)

Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, A.C. (CCMSS)

Secretaria del Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP)

Ecoenergy International Corporation (EIC)

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Fideicomiso de Recursos Naturales de la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project administration, financing

Street

Escuela Naval Militar 707, Colonia Reforma

City

Oaxaca

State

Oaxaca

Post code

68050

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(951) 34001

Fax

(951) 34001

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Union de Communidades Zapoteca-Chinantecas

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

UZACHI

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project administration

Street

Dom. Conocido

City

Capulalpan de Mendez

State

Oaxaca

Post code

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(955) 36070

Fax

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Hernandez

First name, middle name

Jesus

Job title

Director Tecnico

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Union de Communidades Ixtlan-Etla

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

IXETO

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development, project administration

Street

Independencia No.13 Esquina con Centenario

City

Villa de Etla

State

Oaxaca

Post code

68200

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(952) 15339

Fax

(952) 15339

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Aguirre

First name, middle name

Heriberto

Job title

Director Tecnico

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Estudios Rurales y Asesoria Campesina, A.C.

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

ERA

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Technical assistance, financing

Street

Priv. Elvira 114, Fracc. Villa San Luis

City

Oaxaca

State

Oaxaca

Post code

68020

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(951) 35671

Fax

E-mail

Era@antequera.com

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Chapela

First name, middle name

Francisco

Job title

President

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, A.C.

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

CCMSS

Acronym (English)

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Monitoring/verification

Street

Av. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 103

City

Col. Chimalistic

State

Xochimilco

Post code

16610

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(5) 843 3088, 661 8574

Fax

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Madrid

First name, middle name

Sergio

Job title

Director Ejecutivo

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

smadrid@laneta.apc.org

Surname

Ruiz

First name, middle name

Fernando

Job title

Coordinador Captura de Carbono

Street

Angelina 18

City

Fraccionamiento Los Angeles

State

Xalapa

Post Code

91060

Country

Mexico

Direct telephone

(28) 18 7476

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Fruiz@edg.net.mx

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Secretaria del Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

SEMARNAP

Acronym (English)

Department

CONAF

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Government regulation/oversight

Street

Progreso No.5

City

Col. del Carmen

State

Coyoacan

Post code

04100

Country

Mexico

Telephone

(5) 554 3952

Fax

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Segura

First name, middle name

Gerardo

Job title

Secretario Tecnico del Consejo Consultiva Nacional Forestal

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Item

Name of organization (original language)

Name of individual if unaffiliated with any organization

Ecoenergy International Corporation

Name of organization (English)

Acronym (original language)

Acronym (English)

EIC

Department

Function(s) within the AIJ project activities

Project development

Street

Santander 15, Despacho 404

City

Colonia Insurgentes Mixcoac

State

Mexico

Post code

03920

Country

Mexico

Telephone

52 5 563 4280

Fax

52 5 598 8581

E-mail

World Wide Web-URL address

Surname

Hoyt

First name, middle name

Ed

Job title

Director of Mexico Operations

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Surname

First name, middle name

Job title

Direct telephone

Direct fax

Direct e-mail

Sector(s)

Land-use change and forestry

Primary activity(ies)

Agroforestry, plantation establishment, silviculture (forest management), fire management, reduced impact logging, increased wood-use efficiency

Country

Mexico

Exact location (community, municipio, state)

The following communities and municipios in Oaxaca State: San Mateo Capulalpam in Capulalpam de Mendez; Santiago Xiacui and La Trinidad in Santiago Xiacui; Santiago Comaltepec in Santiago Comaltepec; Nuevo Zooquiapam in Nuevo Zooquiapam; and San Miguel Aloapam in San Miguel Aloapam.

Project starting date (month/year)

This information is not yet available.

Project ending date (month/year)

This information is not yet available.

Project lifetime (years)

30 years

Current stage of project

Mutually agreed

The Uniones UZACHI and IXIETO are community organizations formed to share the costs of managing forests and other natural resources. These uniones are recognized under Mexican law, and since 1982 the communities have had the full right to profit from the natural resources in their territory. Community forest activities include participatory control of community areas, including designating permanent forest areas and areas for agriculture and cattle raising. Forest management by UZACHI has already received certification by Smartwood. However, rising population will increase demand pressures on this land. Without additional financing and support, the uniones and the communities that they represent will be unable to continue sustainable, community-based land management over the next few decades. This project seeks to obtain this necessary support.

The project involves six communities and encompasses an area of 49,027 ha, of which 31,847 ha are closed forest. The remaining land is a mix of open forest (4,272 ha), agroforestry (245 ha), permanent and shifting agriculture (1,832 and 1,699 ha), degraded or grazed land (2,395 ha), fallow (6,196 ha), restored forest (175 ha), and tree plantations (367 ha). The main project activities are the rehabilitation of degraded forest through agroforestry and plantation establishment, and the prevention of further degradation of standing forest by controlling pests, disease, and fire. The project involves other actions, including improved forest management (e.g., increased growth and reduced impact logging); increased agricultural efficiency; and increased wood-use efficiency.

Project activities are anticipated to begin when funding is in place. These activities will be an integral component of ongoing land management by the communities, the uniones , and supporting organizations. The benefits of the project have been estimated for a period of 30 years.

The project developer anticipates a total implementation cost over 30 years of US$4,961,626. Information is not yet available on project development costs. The following cost categories are presented in Section 6(c) below, and are briefly described here:

Environmental Investment : Long-term infrastructure and equipment costs to support project activities, such as forest road improvement, pest and fire prevention, and plantation and agroforestry programs.

Operation : A revolving fund to pay for "productive investments."

Forest Protection : Implementation costs for forest protection. Total costs budgeted for forest protection in these communities include both (1) the cost of forest protection activities associated with the USIJI project, and (2) the cost of forest protection that is independent of the USIJI project activities and that is anticipated to continue in the future. Forty percent of total forest protection costs have been assigned to the USIJI project, and the remaining 60 percent of forest protection costs are independent of the USIJI project.

Technical Support : Support for the Technical Direction Staffs of the uniones and for external organizations. As with forest protection, 40 percent of the total technical support costs within these communities are assigned to the USIJI project, and the remaining 60 percent of technical support costs are independent of the USIJI project.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Anticipated costs for developing and implementing the monitoring plan.

Promotion and Sales: Fundraising and related activities for the carbon sequestration project.

The funding allocated to the carbon sequestration project will support activities that are incremental to ongoing community activities (i.e., that would not have occurred in the absence of this USIJI project). The funding will be held in a trust fund subject to oversight by the technical committee, an independent evaluator, and routine government controls.

Party(ies) that will be monitoring project activities

Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, A.C.

Party(ies) that will be externally verifying project results

This information is not yet available.

Date when the monitoring plan became (or will become) operational (month/year)

This information is not yet available.

Types of data that will be collected

Activity implementation status, changes in land uses, and biomass carbon stocks.

The monitoring plan is under development, but will likely be based on the following approach: biennial surveys of land-use changes using aerial photography and/or satellite imaging; and establishment of permanent sampling plots to measure changes in biomass carbon stocks according to land type and land-use categories. More specific details are not yet available.

The project developer has agreed to permit external verification of GHG benefits at the request of USIJI. External verification of financial performance will also be performed by an external consultant who has yet to be selected.

Please check one of the following.

This report is a first report.

This report is an intermediate report.

This report is a final report.

Please check one of the following:

This report is a joint report. Letter(s) of approval of this report from the designated national authority of the other Party(ies) involved in the activity is(are) attached in Section J, Annex.

This report is a separate report.

Additional comments (if any):

The project is entirely based on community involvement in land-use planning activities. The goals and activities of the project have been developed through participatory planning coordinated by the local uniones . Thus, the project is by definition compatible with the local communities’ goals for economic development and socioeconomic and environmental priorities.

At the national level, the project has received host country approval and SEMARNAP is a participant in the project. Smartwood certification of forest management indicates the high value placed on environmental goals by the implementing organizations.

There are two likely non-GHG environmental benefits: wildlife protection and watershed protection. The area is a Conservation International "biodiversity hotspot" subject to increasing resource pressures.

The project promotes community involvement in the management of its land and resources in a sustainable manner. An explicit goal of the project is to encourage participatory and democratic decision making, and to strengthen the planning and technical capacity of local organizations. Some portion of project funds is specifically earmarked for the support of local women’s groups.

The project will strengthen local economies by promoting employment, increasing the value added during the processing of wood products (e.g., by increasing conversion efficiencies in wood mills, and utilizing a broader range of tree species), and ensuring the sustainable use of the resources upon which the communities rely.

Site number (order of presentation in this report)

1 of 1

Site name/designation

Community silviculture in Oaxaca

Project sector

Land-use change and forestry

Primary activity(ies)

Agroforestry, plantation establishment, silviculture (forest management), fire management, reduced impact logging, increased wood-use efficiency

Has the reference scenario changed since the last report? (If yes, explain any changes below.)

Yes

No

This is the first project report.

Description:

Total land area currently equals 49,028 ha. Under the reference scenario, total carbon stocks will increase despite a significant undesirable loss of forest land area of all types due to rising demand for agricultural land and an inability to protect degraded forests as they recover. Changes in land use by area are expected to occur as follows:

Reference scenario activities include:

• Development of community management plans, including mapping and inventorying current land uses, assessing tree stocking levels and associated biomass carbon stocks, marking trees, and delimiting logging areas;
• Management plan implementation, including road construction, logging, and wood transportation and processing;
• Protection, including semi-directional felling, road planning, and pest and disease control; and
• Nursery operation.

Primary activity(ies)

Improved agroforestry, plantation establishment, silviculture (forest management), fire management, reduced impact logging, increased wood-use efficiency

Description:

The project scenario will use improved forest management techniques to reduce the loss of forested area and increase the biomass on each hectare, and increase the importance of the forest management component of the community development plan, which is currently more focused on agricultural productivity. Land-use areas at the beginning of the project scenario are the same as at the beginning of the reference scenario (see above). Changes in land use by area are expected to occur as follows:

Specific incremental activities include:

• Evaluation and monitoring of biomass carbon stocks;
• Improved forest management such as thinning, soil preparation, cattle exclusion, selection of optimal tree species, and improved wood-use efficiency;
• Increased protection, such as reduced impact logging, improved logging road design, fire and pest protection, and surveillance of community land; and
• Increased intensity of plantation management in agroforestry systems.

Primary activity(ies)

This information is not yet available.

Description:

This information is not yet available.

Site number

1 of 1

Project sector

Land-use change and forestry

The GHG estimates are projected using the World Resources Institute’s Land-Use and Carbon Sequestration (LUCS) model. LUCS was specifically designed to model carbon fluxes in less-developed areas typified by low-productivity, subsistence agriculture and the use of fuelwood for energy. The main categories of parameters and variables are: population; land use and biomass; forest management and uses; forest harvesting; agricultural production; and project management. LUCS provides a framework to relate these factors to each other over time, but relies heavily on the inputs that are selected.

Input data for the GHG estimates were developed for the project site, based to some extent on measurement results from on-site studies. In particular, the biomass in closed forest—65 percent of all project land area—was based on wood volume (m³/ha) data from the community planning process and local wood density studies. Under the reference scenario, over 30 years, there will be sequestration of 4,566,000 tonnes (t) of carbon—4,489,000 t C in biomass and 77,000 t C in wood products. This is equivalent to 16,742,000 t CO₂—16,460,000 t CO₂ in biomass and 282,333 t CO₂ in wood products—using a conversion ratio of 44 t CO₂/12 t C.

The LUCS model was also used for the project scenario estimates. In this case, the impact of project activities is represented by changes in key LUCS parameters and variables, selected by technical experts familiar with the project sites and activities.

Under the project scenario, over 30 years, carbon sequestration will total 5,406,000 t C—5,274,000 t C in biomass and 132,000 t C in wood products. This is equivalent to 19,822,000 t CO₂—19,338,000 t CO₂ in biomass and 484,000 t CO₂ in wood products—using a conversion ratio of 44 t CO₂/12 t C.

This information is not yet available.

This information is not yet available.

The main factors that could cause future loss or reversal of benefits are those threats of forest degradation which the project activities will attempt to address. These are mainly the increasing regional population and associated rising resource pressures, as evidenced by regional deforestation rates.

The project has been designed from the beginning to sustainably manage community resources, emphasizing participatory and democratic involvement in the planning and implementation. Land tenure is secure and the implementing organizations have a long history of working in the communities. The Smartwood certification is evidence of this ongoing commitment on the part of the project developers. Beyond the measures outlined in the description of project activities, no information on specific additional actions is available.

This information is not yet available.

The project will support the planning and implementation capacity of community-based land management efforts.

This information is not yet available.

This information is not yet available.

None.

Country/Project Title

Date of Approval(day/month/year)

Mexico/Community Silviculture in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca

Carlos Gay, Coordinator of the Unit for International Cooperation and Agreement, National Ecology Institute (INE), Secretariat of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries (SEMARNAP)