Community Empowerment Facility Profile

BACKGROUND

The recently enacted Forestry Law and Law on Popular Participation allows for 20% of the forestry reserve areas to be allocated to community based organizations, indigenous communities and producer associations, providing it is shown that they can use and manage the land and natural resources in a sustainable manner. The Law on Popular Participation provides local communities access to benefits from government investment through participating in the management of local development and the decision-making process.

On the basis of the Forestry Law, 20% (130,000 ha) of the forestry reserve El Chore (1,634 Km²), in the Municipality of Yacapaní, is reserved for Local Social Associations (ASLs), and 80% is for concessions for wood enterprise.

The indigenous communities of the municipality of Yapacani depend on fishing and fruit gathering in an area which they have inhabited for about 30 years. So far, these communities have not been able to participate in the plans and programmes implemented by the municipal government through the Law on Popular Participation. The communities and associations require the legal status, instruments and titles which would allow them to fully exercise their rights and responsibilities over the natural resources of this area.

The project responds to the needs of indigenous communities and producer associations of Yapacaní who need legal access to the forestry reserve of El Chore in order to enhance their economic activities and exercise their rights as citizens of the municipality. It also aims to provide support in the legalization, demarcation, studies and plans to allow community based organizations to undertake forestry activities with the active participation of the municipal government and CEDETI.

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GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The proposal to receive legal support for the access to the El Chore Forestry Reserve, comes from indigenous communities and productive associations wanting to increase their own income generating activities and exercise citizens rights.

Five legally establish Local Social Associations (ASL) in the Yapacaní municipality aim to manage their reserves in an efficient and sustainable manner exercising ownership rights and obligations.

Specific objectives:

• Legalizing and strengthening the Local Social Associations (ASL);
• Training the participating organizations on sustainable forestry management of in the El Chore reserve;
• Facilitating participating organizations to acquire a sound basis of long-term forestry resource management;
• Guaranteeing family subsistence through access to the forest and consequent increase in income.

Activities:

• Providing support to establish the organizations in the legal framework.
• Elaborating the organizations basic legal documents: act of foundation, statutes, establish a board of directors and make arrangements for their legal status as community based organizations vis-à-vis the municipality and prefecture.
• Supporting the delimitation of requested areas.
• Delimitating land for the communities, based on agreements with the Forestry Unit of the municipality. Land will be requested as "Community Land by Traditional Inheritance".
• Filing land requests. To be carried out by the community, acting through its board of directors. The Forestry Unit of the municipality will proceed with the demarcation.
• Assisting in formulating land requests as Local Social Association.
• Elaborating a participative socio-economic appraisal for the identification and documentation of their demographic and cultural characteristics, as well as access to services.
• Elaborating management plans for land requested by the communities and Forestry management plan, including guidelines on the utilization of available resources.
• Providing technical assistance for the functioning of the organization and the implementation of the management plans.
• Assisting the participating communities and associations in the implementation of their plans and the functioning of their structures.
• Training participating beneficiaries in the sustainable management of forestry resources.

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WHO WILL BENEFIT?

Beneficiaries and parties involved, directly and indirectly.

• Direct beneficiaries: two communities with a total of 100 families and three Associations having 102 members.
• Indirect beneficiaries: 120 other communities of the municipality.

The communities are from Yuracares and another indigenous group from Beni department. Colonizers coming from different parts of the country comprise the sawmills association.

The project targets two communities and three associations (lumberjacks, sawmills and carpenters). The lumberjack association is requesting the allocation of an area to permit them to improve their income.

To take part in the participatory processes established through the Popular Participation Law, the associations have to be recognized as Organizaciones Terriroriales de Base – OTBs (Based Territorial Organizations) but none of the above mentioned organizations have been recognized as OTB.

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CONCLUSION

In exercising their citizen’s rights and duties on the focused area, the families will be able to improve their livelihoods. By supporting this project, the Popular Coalition will help the indigenous communities and associations to use the legal documentation to gain access to the 20% of the Reserva Forestal El Chore Area. The project reduces the risk of conflict on access and use of natural resources. The organizations undertake sustainable forestry exploitation activities, applying the respective operation/management plans. Through the Popular Coalition’s contribution, the project aims at making indigenous communities an integral part of the municipal dynamic of the popular participation process.

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