Implementing the Management Plan
In accordance with Congolese law, each Forest Management Unit is divided into a series of management units, called 'series', that focus on timber production, conservation, protection, research and community development.
The production series forms the bulk of the concession, and is that part which will be logged. The conservation series protects environmentally sensitive habitats, such as watersheds. The community development series sets aside areas for use by the communities, including agricultural land, hunting and fishing zones, and areas in which local people can log timber. Protection zones are off limits to all types of exploitation, including hunting and logging, and are meant to protect biodiversity and important areas for wildlife.
The production series is further divided into Forestry Production Units (FPU's), with the size of the FPU being determined by the volume of timber which the company can extract during a period of five years. FPU's are then further divided into Annual Cut Zones, each of which represents 20% of the surface area of the FPU, and is thus the area which can be exploited in a single year. This system is designed to ensure that the forestry company has a continuous supply of commercially valuable timber, while also minimizing the negative impact of the extraction process on the environment.