The Forestry
Department with the support of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on Thursday
completed the seizure and removal of over 900 pieces of illegal harvested
timber from the Cape Clear forest estate in St. Mary.
The
pieces of wood which were sawn into planks were discovered during a routine
patrol of the forest estate. The team of Forest Rangers discovered the sizeable
illegal logging operation on October 15, 2024. “Upon discovery, the team
proceeded to affix Notices of Seizure and mark the items. The officers also
made a report to the Richmond Police Station, to ensure the police are aware in
the event of attempts to remove the lumber before the Agency commenced said
process,” said Tanika Stewart, Senior Director, Forest Enforcement Services at
the Forestry Department.
Following
the discovery, the Agency immediately made plans for the removal of the items,
which were done over two days ending on Thursday. The total amount of lumber
removed at the end of the operation is 927 pieces of lumber - 804 pieces of
board and 133 pieces of planks. Most of the lumber is identified as Spanish Elm
(over 50 percent) while other species identified are Deal also known as Popnut
and Sweetwood.
Preliminary
investigations indicate that the operation was well organized and took place
over several weeks. Additionally, it has been found that the people who cut the
lumber had purchased the stands of trees from an individual who claimed
ownership of the forested property. “I want to encourage persons to do their
due diligence when purchasing timber. Ensure you are sure that the person
selling the timber is authorized to do so. Additionally, I want to encourage
private landowners with boundaries adjoining the forest estates to confirm
their boundaries before carrying out any activity on their property. This will
also prevent instances where trees from forest reserves are removed,” Stewart
said.
Stewart
described the seizure as a demonstration of the Agency’s commitment to stamping
out illegal logging in our forests. “When trees are cut in this wanton fashion,
it disrupts ecosystems and reduces the functions trees provide in sequestering
carbon, supporting water supply and even serving as a home for many other flora
and fauna, which are critical parts of the ecosystem,” Stewart added.
Ms. Stewart added that the Agency continues its investigations in partnership with the JCF and remains resolute in the protection and management of Jamaica’s forest resources.
In July, the Forestry Department disrupted another illegal logging operation in the Quickstep area of the Cockpit Country forest reserve, resulting in over 400 planks being seized by the Agency. The Agency, along with the police, continue to investigate that matter.
The
Forestry Department is the government agency responsible for the management and
protection of government-owned forests, which include forest reserves and
forest management areas.
Approximately
48 per cent (527,394 hectares) of Jamaica is classified as forests, and the
Agency manages just over 122,000 hectares of this amount of forest cover.