The forest department has convicted a man for harvesting timber illegally. On August 18th, a search in Upper Barton Creek in the Cayo District led to an improvised sawmill where Peter Sherk and Bernhard Martens were found in possession of what is described as a significant volume of illegal timber. They had 9 bandsaw-cut mahogany flitches, measuring an estimated six hundred and eighty board feet and fifty-one (51) pieces of mahogany sawn lumber, estimated at four hundred seventy-five board feet, totalling 1,115 board feet. Neither of the men had a permit to cut or possess this timber.
Charges were laid against both of them, and today, Peter Sherk pled guilty to the charge in the San Ignacio Magistrate Court. He was fined $4,900 and the timber was forfeited to the Forest Department.
And while such practices are feared to be widespread - detection is rare and the Forest Department urges anyone who knows about illegal logging operations to call their office at 822-1524.
