The Republic of Srpska pioneers Timber Geolocation

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the public forestry company in the Republic of Srpska has adopted new technology to pin point the exact origin of timber

by Ivan Hederić, FSC Market Development Manager for the Adria-Balkan Region

Geolocation step by step

In July 2023, We visited a public FSC-certified forest near the city of Gradiška in the north of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The forest –is managed by the state-owned company Šume Republike Srpske, which is responsible for all the publicly-owned forests in the entity. Local foresters took me to the harvesting site to present the geolocation pilot programme.

Step 1 - Selecting trees for harvest

Experienced forest engineers follow the selective silviculture method appropriate for the hilly terrain of north Bosnia and Herzegovina to identify and select mature trees for the upcoming harvest. Each selected tree is marked at chest height with an identifier that can be easily seen by forest workers who fell the trees. Each marked tree is also geolocated at this point with precise GPS coordinates, these are paired with a unique QR-coded tag that is placed at the bottom of the tree trunk where it will remain on the stump.

Step 2 - Harvesting

When the time comes and conditions are suitable, forest workers enter the area looking for marked trees. They carefully fell the marked trees, leaving them in place on the ground.

Step 3 - Geolocation of the harvested wood

Before the felled material is collected, forest engineers categorise the timber into different classes of wood and pair each part of the felled tree with its corresponding GPS coordinates. They do this with tags of various colours, each representing a specific wood category. At the same time another unique QR code on the tag gets paired with the original QR code on the bottom of the stump. This links the GPS coordinates of the tree with the timber it produces.

Step 4 - Final control

The felled, categorized and geolocated timber is moved to the side of the road, but before it is loaded onto a truck for transport, a forest engineer double checks each piece of timber by scanning the QR codes. This confirms that every piece of wood is accompanied by the information of the origin GPS coordinates. Once complete, the wood is again marked to signal completion of the final control. The timber can now be loaded onto the truck for further processing elsewhere.

Geolocated future

The application of this geolocation system enables precise GPS coordinates to follow each parcel of timber along the supply chain, giving future buyers and sellers the most accurate insight into the origin of the material. It also provides some necessary core information for the products to be placed on the EU market in respect of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) requirements. The EUDR requires operators and non-SME traders to provide geolocation information for the exact plot of land where wood and rubber (among other) forest commodities were produced. As the industry advances, continued investment in geolocation technology promises to lead to more sustainable, efficient and environmentally conscious logging practices, as well as an accurate insight into the origin of wood products.

This geolocation pilot project is an excellent example of a forward-thinking initiative. It will enable Šume Republike Srpske to remain competitive and to serve its clients with the geolocation data required by the new EUDR. This is especially important because Bosnian furniture is in high demand and is very likely to end up in EU markets.

Background

Since 1990, deforestation has destroyed around 420 million hectares of forests, an area larger than the entire European Union. Most of that loss has been outside the EU, but market demand within the EU has clearly contributed to the loss. In response, the EU agreed on a new European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) to control the production and import of designated products, including timber and furniture.

The EUDR now requires harvested trees (and the resulting timber and products) to include precise geolocation data before being either placed on the EU market or exported from the EU. At a high level, this information will enable actors in the product chain to satisfy themselves that the products will not contribute to deforestation anywhere. In addition, the benefits of geolocation go beyond the prevention of deforestation and can enhance the management and sustainability of forestry operations, streamlining the harvest of trees and minimizing environmental impact.

Precise location of individual trees allows forest managers to plan their operations to reduce time and labour costs. Routes for logging equipment will be more efficient, minimizing unnecessary travel and reducing environmental disturbance. The precise identification of trees for harvest allows growing room for the rest to mature, and ensuring that smaller and younger trees remain encourages natural regeneration, which promotes sustainability and ecological adaptation over time. After harvest, managers can make use of geolocation data to improve decision making, resulting in greater productivity, reduced waste and more profits.

FSC International and the EUDR

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the European Union share a unified vision to protect our forests. As the most credible global sustainable forestry solution, FSC’s trusted certifications already deliver on numerous requirements of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), and in many ways exceed its scope and ambitions.

FSC continues to strengthen its system so actors throughout the supply chain can meet all aspects of EUDR and other relevant forestry legislation in Europe and across the world. FSC is leading systemic change and developing new technologies to help companies meet EUDR requirements.

From June 2024, FSC EUDR Aligned will provide a set of integrated tools that companies at any point in the value chain can use to meet EUDR legality, sustainability, and due diligence obligations. Targeted support will help companies adopt these tools ahead of December 2024 enforcement.

This article was written by Ivan Hederić, FSC Market Development Manager for the Adria-Balkan Region, and was originally published on the FSC Adria-Balkan website here