Last month we told you all about Belize Woodmark Designs and the controversial logging concession the furniture company had applied for in the Western Hardwoods area of the Mountain Pine Ridge.
Despite their claims that its application was made in full compliance with the Forest Act and all applicable legal and administrative requirements, it was strongly opposed by the Chief Forest Officer and conservation co-managers in the Mountain Pine Ridge reserve who cited legitimate concerns about affecting the hydrology of the area.
But, to no one's surprise, government still went ahead and granted that logging concession. It happened about two weeks ago and the Minister today told us it was done with some limitations:
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Dev
"That has been approved, I think only about 40% of the area that was requested was approved. The studies show that, one it is in area which is designated forest for logging as concessions, but not for yearly logging concessions. It has to be for sustainable logging. Also one thing that we really have to look at was that we were losing a lot of that area by granting small licenses for two or three trees and sometimes those don't become only 2 or 3 trees, those become a stamp and then it goes for many many small concessions. And so it almost becomes like a yearly logging license. I think that the area that has been granted also has potential for tourism, NICH from the from the Minister of Archeology also has looked at the area. They have designated areas that tend not to be touched. The Forest Department has looked at all those hilly areas that are beyond 25 degrees that cannot be touched. Also, waterways have at least about a kilometer away from where the logging concession would be able to. This is also important because when the applicant applied, they had to understand that when the concession is given, if it is given for 25 or 30 years, from my understanding of the study that was done, that only about 5 or 6 years of logging can occur, but you will have to manage it for the next 15 or 20 years."
Reports tell us that the Chief Forestry Officer Wilbur Sabido who had opposed the license returned to work today after being on leave for some months.
