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ScopeofDOFGroupCertificationin2016

BriefHistoryoftheDOFGroupCertificationTheDOFGroupof ForestManagementUnits (FMU) startedas twoprovincial groups,namely: theKhammouane Provincial Group,which obtained its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate inDecember2004,andtheSavannakhetProvincialGroup,whichobtaineditsFSCcertificateinJanuary2005.TheRainforestAlliancewastheFSCcertifierofthetwoprovincialgroups.ThetwoprovincialgroupcertificateswerecombinedintotheDOFGroupCertificate in2007takingovertheremainingperiodoftheFSCcertificates,i.e.until2010.TheDOFGroupCertificateincluded4 FMUs in Dong Sithouane Production Forest Area (PFA) located in Thapangthong District ofSavannakhet Province and one FMU in Dong Phousoy PFA located in Xebangfai District ofKhammouaneProvince.ThetotalareacoveredinthescopeofFSCcertificationwas50,788ha.AstheDOFGroupCertificatewasexpiringin2010,theDOFGroupofFMUswasre-assessedbytheRainforest Alliance resulting in extension of its FSC certificate for another five-year period (2010-2015). During the certification period, in addition to the original FMUs in Savannakhet andKhammouane Provinces, an FMU in Nakathing PFA located in Mahaxay District of KhammouaneProvincewasaddedtothescopeoftheFSCcertificate,aswellassixVillageForestryFMUslocatedinBolikhanandKhamkeutDistrictsofBolikhamxayProvince.Thetotalareacoveredwas132,162ha.

Re-assessmentoftheFSCCertificatefortheThirdFive-YearPeriod(2016-2021)TheDOFGroupCertificateexpiredat theendof2015.Re-assessmentof theDOFGroupof FMUswasconductedbytheRainforestAllianceinMay2016.Inviewoftheon-goingloggingbaninPFAsandthegrantingofrattanquotaonlytoBolikhanDistrict,thistimethescopeofthecertificatewaslimited to twoVillage Forestry FMUs in BolikhanDistrict. Theplan is that after the logging ban islifted and the DOF Group Certification is extended for the 2016-2021 period, the scope of FSCcertification will be scaled up to cover FMUs in selected PFAs with total area of about 150,000hectares,aswellasadditionalVillageForestryFMUs inKhamkeutDistrictofBolikhamxayProvinceandpossiblyalsoinNakaiDistrictofKhammouaneProvince.

ScopeoftheDOFGroupCertificationin2016The following table summarizes thescopeofFSCcertification thatwasassessedby theRainforestAllianceinMay2016.Area,hectares XiengxienVillageFMU XiengleuVillageFMUTotalareaofthevillage 7,577.0 5,618.0AreaincludedinthescopeofFSCcertificationassessment

6,159.2

4,789.7

Ofwhich:(a)RattanareaC1(HCVF5) 3,279.0 1,306.0(b)RattanareaC2(HCVF5) 1,752.4 2,776.5(c)OtherHCVF:ProtectionforestC3(HCVF4) 731.4 383.6(d)OtherHCVF:RiparianbufferC4(HCVF4) 389.0 314.0(e)OtherHCVF:SacredforestC5(HCVF6) 7.4 9.6AreanotincludedinthescopeofFSCcertificationassessment

1,417.8

828.3

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Map1:XiengxienVillageForestryFMU

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Map2:XiengleuVillageForestryFMU