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Chiquibul Illegal Logging – Very Costly
posted (September 26, 2012)
For years we've been reporting on the Guatemalan incursions into the Chiquibul Forest. First it was Xate but now its logging.

Today in Belmopan the Friends for Conservation and Development, which co-manages the Park, held a forum on the illegal logging situation in the Chiquibul Forest.

It provided an Economic and Ecological Valuation Assessment which made it clear that the cost both to the environment and the economy is staggering. Here's an excerpt:

Boris Arrevalo - Friends For Conservation and Development
"This graph is showing to us that in 2010, the illegal logging influence was just over 18,000 hectares. Then, by 2011 - which was last year - that area had increased to 26,642 hectares. That is an increase of 46.6%. Now, from last year to mid 2012, to when the research finished, we had an incrrease of 28% , giving a total area under illegal logging influence of 34,000. The amount of area being deforested in the Chiquibul Forest is more than just 393 hectares that have been deforested by illegal logging. We have the looting of our Mayan Sites. Just by may field observations, I will say that 95% of all the Mayan structures that have been found in the Chiquibul Forest have been looted already. For NICH, it's an issue. What is the value of that information that we as country are losing. It doesn't have an approximate value. So, we see that the volume of Mahogany 2.9 million board feet, while for cedar is 2.8 million board feet that has been extracted already, with an aggregated economic value of $9.5 million US. The volume and economical value of the lumber that is lying there in the Chiquibul Forest is $3.05 million US. A lot of timber, it's just left there. Then, we have that deforestation; a result of illegal incursions is becoming a big problem. To conclude, I will say that it is not showing signs of decrease; the problem is getting bigger and bigger every day."

Actions recommended include establishing a mechanism to salvage commercial grade timber that was left as waste and maintain a constant and varied security presence.

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