In 1994, the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) established a Timber Working Group to explore in more detail the question of CITES and timber species.
The EU representative on this Group is Sara Oldfield of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The next meeting of the Group will take place in Panama in October 1996. Reports of the deliberations of the Group are a regular agenda item at Large Forum Meetings.
The World Conservation Monitoring Centre with funding from the Dutch Government, is developing a database on tree species of conservation concern worldwide. Information is being included on conservation status, threats, ecology and uses.
In July 1996 a Workshop was held in Zimbabwe to evaluate the conservation status of African tree species (a report of this Workshop is available). A published report of the whole project will be available by the end of 1997. For further details contact Sara Oldfield, WCMC, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 ODL, UK.
The first General Assembly of the FSC was held in Mexico in June 1996 and was attended by 132 delegates from 35 countries. Key issues of debate included forest conversion, certification of paper and multi-sourced products, and access to certification for small producers.
The new FSC logo has been launched. Within the UK, the UK FSC Standards Working Group has been formulating standards for Great Britain that will comply with FSC requirements. The UK FSC is coordinated by Ms Hannah Scrase, Unit D, Old Station Building, Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6EB.
Tel/ Fax: 01686 412176. Email:
hannah@fsc.uk.demon.co.uk
The intemational HQ for the FSC is:
Avenida Hidalgo 502, Oaxaca 68000, Oaxaca, Mexico. Fax: 52 951 62110. Email: FSC@laneta.apc.org
Prospect is a database designed to store information extracted from the literature for mainly lesser known, tropical hardwood species.
It has been developed over the past 15 years with the aim of encouraging the use of a wider range of tropical timber species, so as to relieve pressure on the more
commonly harvested species.
The Windows version of the database will be available early in 1997 at a cost of £450-500. For information contact the Oxford Forestry Institute on 01865 275068. Email: prospect@plants.ox.ac.uk