And keeping it in Cayo - that's where the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest reserve is - and last week you heard conservationists speaking about the risks facing that area.
One of them is Dr Elma Kay - who gave 7News an interview - where she mentioned the Chiquibul Forest. Well, that seems to have triggered Bulridge, a company which has a logging license in the Chiquibul. And in what seems to be a very thin skinned reaction, they have sent her a lawyer letter for any implications that could be drawn from her speaking about logging and chiquibul in the same sentence. Attorney Audrey Matura wrote her a letter saying, quote, you referred to "Chiquibul", among other areas, as examples where similar justifications for logging have been used in the past. This statement was very misleading….We, therefore, are now respectfully clarifying that this statement, as presented, has been interpreted by the public to suggest that illegal logging is occurring or has occurred in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, where Bulridge Ltd. holds a legal sustainable forest license. We can categorically say that no illegal logging is taking place in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve managed by our client.
And taking it further, to even suggest a limit on free speech, they say, quote, "General references to "Chiquibul" without specifying the area in question can cause confusion and inadvertently harm the reputation of organizations like our client's that operate legally and sustainably. We respectfully request that the Chiquibul Forest Reserve not be used as an example in arguments that imply unsustainable or illegal practices, especially when such statements contradict our client's long-standing commitment to responsible forest stewardship and Belize's sustainable development goals." End quote.
