A high priority for TFF is to encourage the major international timber companies to support and incorporate TFF Sustainable Forest Management/ Reduced-impact Logging principles and practices.

Indonesia's rich and diverse forest is the largest remaining natural forest in Southeast Asia. The country has about 10 percent of the world's remaining tropical rainforest and is the world's largest producer and exporter of tropical wood products.

Over the past 3 years there have been major changes in the management of Indonesia's tropical forests. Political developments related to decentralization and a quickly shrinking resource base have led to much uncertainty about the future of the rapidly-depleting tropical forests.

Since 2000, the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) has been providing training in all aspects of Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) to raise awareness and educate the Indonesian forest industry in sustainable forest management principles. The program builds on the expertise and methods developed for the Brazil project, yet is tailored to the concerns of Indonesian industry, research, and policy organizations.

Through grants from the US State Department, USAID, the USDA Forest Service, and ITTO, TFF has developed training modules tailored to the specific needs of individual forest management units (FMU). This strategy has been well received by the forestry industry. Although training will continue to be a central aspect of TFF's activities in Indonesia, new opportunities to assist in the adoption of sustainable forest management are emerging.

International forestry expert, Art Klassen, serves as Regional Director for the Indonesia/SE Asia program. Klassen has extensive experience in policy, operations research, training, forest engineering, and community forestry. He has worked in a number of countries including Tanzania, Iran, Guyana, Bhutan, and Indonesia.

The Indonesia program has received support from several U.S. agencies, including the Agency for International Development (USAID), the USDA Forest Service (International Forestry), and the State Department. In addition, the project receives invaluable support from the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), which has been instrumental in providing funding for numerous TFF projects around the world.

For more information on TFF's - Indonesia program, visit www.tff-indonesia.org.