This 7th brief from the CS-IFM team in Liberia focuses on the Bluyeama Community Forest Management Agreement (CFMA) and assesses the actual benefits that the newly signed logging contract with Sing Africa Plantations Liberia Incorporated (SAPLI) has to offer the people of Bluyeama clan as compared to the previous contract with ECOWOOD. It also assesses the level of understanding that members of the community have in terms of their involvement in the implementation of a CFMA.

With over 120 applications submitted to the Liberia Forestry Development Authority (FDA) for CFMA status, almost all of which have been approved to commence the nine-step process, it is important to establish whether the FDA is proceeding diligently and in line with the legal framework.

This brief also demonstrates the need for every applicant CFMA to be provided with independent, unbiased legal support from an NGO or similar organization, so as to protect communities’ rights and enable communities to better understand their role in managing their forest.