Further boost for Forestry Commission’s monitoring system -Bar-Coding being integrated into log tracking activities

Georgetown, GINA, December 17, 2007.

Focus continues to be placed on strategic and effective monitoring activities to support sustainable forestry development through which efforts are underway to integrate the Remote Sensing and Bar-Coding system into the existing log tracking programme.

This is being done under a Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) project, funded with support from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) at a cost of more than $100M. It targets the use of modern tracking devices, to combat illegal logging activities and is being used in many South American countries, including neighbouring Brazil.

The project was approved by the ITTO earlier this year and according to Head of the Planning and Development Division of the GFC, Pradeepa Bholanauth, it commenced last September with efforts to recruit the three main consultants necessary for implementation of the various activities.

Positions were advertised for specialists in areas of Chain of Custody; Networking and Bar Coding; and Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System and applicants are currently being reviewed.

It is expected that once these positions are filled, the project can move to the next level which includes conducting a remote sensing imagery and geographic assessments of the current log tracking system to integrate the Bar-Coding technology.

This is expected to take place in early January after which the Chain of Custody Specialist will be required to formulate procedures to ensure strategic implementation of the bar-coding system.

This will enable the GFC to better monitor production of logs and other timber products extracted from a particular location and make it easier to track the volume/quantity of products harvested from the forest.

The Bar-Coding System is part of GFC’s efforts to modernise its monitoring capacity since it will feed into a central database linked to a national wide-area network. This will allow for real-time transfer of data and the availability of tracking information for the regulatory agency and operators in the private sector.

The project is intended to create an environment where detection of illegal logging and other such non-compliant activities will be enhanced, in transit and at point of sale by scanning bar code labels on log tags to determine if that tag being used is valid, date/time last checked. Similar checks will be done in the forest at tree stumps.

Under the system, raw materials and stumps are identified using a plastic barcode tag that is attached immediately after logging or when being split into pieces at timber collection points. These tags are scanned at GFC’s check points to determine whether the produce is legal. The logs that have been converted are transported to manufacturing plants where the number and description are recorded on timber certificates and removal licenses.

A record is made when the logs are received at manufacturing plants and when they arrive at timber yards. This can be recorded in batches per supplier, as these entities purchase materials from several suppliers in multiple species and volumes.

These can be traced by log tag numbers and bar code to the source of origin in the forest. Scanning and reconciliation will also be enabled at lumber years, sawmills and timber manufacturing operations.

The initiative will further enhance the work of the Forest Monitoring Division of the GFC which carry out its activities through 22 forest stations located at strategic points throughout Guyana. These include stations at Canje, Springlands, Bamboo Landing, Kwakwani, Soesdyke, Linden and Bartica.

 

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