GLA - NTFP EP - Strengthening forest governance in Sierra Madre Landscape

The Sierra Madre mountain range covering the northeast coast of Luzon, serves as the watershed for vast agricultural lands of the Cagayan Valley and central Luzon and forms a protective cover against strong typhoons formed in the Pacific Ocean. The Sierra Madre represents approximately 40% of the Philippine's forest cover that includes its largest tract of old-growth tropical rainforest. Adjacent to the forests are 1.9 m hectares of agricultural lands that expand along with the fast increase in built-up area for land use converted settlements and commercial use. Major threats include illegal logging, encroachment and land conversion for agricultural production. The project will address conflicting resource management schemes, un-harmonized and conflicting natural resource protection policies, competing claims in land tenure and access, land conversions, and weak/absence of land use plans.