A forest management plan is the document that allows a forest to be used without depleting it. In Honduras it is approved by the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) and signed by an accredited forestry professional.

The pieces of the plan

• Forest inventory: volume, species and condition of the forest per plot.
• Harvest plan: how much, where and when to cut, with induced growth.
• Protection: firebreaks, pest control and patrols.
• Reforestation and natural regeneration of the harvested areas.

Approval times

With land tenure documents in order, the ICF review usually takes two to four months. The most common delays come from unmeasured boundaries or unregularized deeds.

A good plan does not only comply with the law: it organizes the work of the forest for years.