Negative impacts of chainsaw logging being addressed
- to maximise returns in forest-dependent communities

Georgetown, GINA, November 30, 2007.

Focus continues to be placed on modernising the forestry sector and efforts are currently being made to tackle the negative impacts of chainsaw operations while maintaining and enhancing its positive socio-economic effects in forestry communities.
            Under a ‘Developing Alternatives for Illegal Chainsaw Lumbering through Multi-Stockholder Dialogue,’ project, activities will be undertaken to reduce the level of conflict related to chainsaw lumbering.
This seeks to reduce the occurrence of illegal logging and poverty, and promote viable livelihoods in forest-dependent communities. The promotion of conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests in developing countries is another objective.
The project, which was launched today at Hotel Tower, Main Street, Georgetown, will be implemented in Guyana and Ghana at a cost of $751.4M. The European Union (EU) is supporting funding of the project.
The three communities in Guyana that will be involved in the project are Orealla, Region Six, Ituni, Region Ten and the Makushi Yemekun Cooperative of the North Rupununi. The project will be implemented by the Forestry Training Centre Incorporated (FTCI) and the Iwokrama Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.   
At the launching, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud noted that the project is not intended to promote chainsaw operations, but to help the targeted communities maximise their returns and develop the capacity to invest in more advanced technology such as the portable saw mill.  
The need to ensure that forestry operations are sustainable and in keeping with best environmental practices was underscored. Stakeholders were urged to place special emphasis on this concept especially since there is much talk about Guyana’s forest and its fforts to secure incentives for its resources.
Prior to 1992, there was a high level of illegal chainsaw operations. This was subsequently regularized by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) which embarked on a process of allocating concessions to forestry organisations for chainsaw extraction of the resources.
To date, there are more than 20 organisations which have been constantly making progress and have been able to use more advanced techniques and technology including portable mills. Additionally, the organisations have been able to make contributions to community development with the income earned from the forestry operations. 
This type of operation is much easier to monitor since there is a licensing process as against the use of chainsaws, according to Commissioner of Forests James Singh.
Chainsaw milling produces significant volumes of tropical timber and is an important source of income for many rural communities. These, are some of the positive outlooks of chainsaw operations and will be considered in the focus.
Representative of Orealla, Joseph Peneux expressed gratitude for his community’s involvement in the project, especially since lumbering is a major source of livelihood for residents. The focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly operations was lauded and stakeholders were called upon to cooperate in this regard taking into consideration the global impact of climate change.
“We are all players. We are all one because how we exploit our resources today, will determine what we will have in the future,” Peneux said.
Other speakers at the launch were Giampiero Muci of the EU, Director of the FTCI Godfrey Marshall and project team leader of Suriname, Sietze van Dijk.
            The chainsaw project will be implemented over the next five years and is in accordance with investments and initiatives of Government to further develop the forestry sector which contributes approximately six percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs about 25 000 persons.

 

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