Fires destroy 1,400 hectares of watersheds

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY– The Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here said more than 1,400 hectares of watersheds in different parts of the region have been hit by forest or grass fires which has resulted in the scarcity of water supply in highly elevated areas, prompting environment and local officials to call for drastic preventive actions.

Numerous forest and grass fires have been happening in different parts of the region thereby affecting the supposed steady supply of water in highly elevated areas, thus, the need for concerned agencies and local governments to adopt preventive measures to stop the incidents from further damaging the remaining forest cover of the Cordillera mountain ranges.

However, experts said in the Cordillera, preventive measures require a special approach because the flammable resinous substance of pine trees makes forests in the region prone to fires.

Based on a report submitted by the DENR’s forest management services to the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera, Benguet and Mountain province have the highest areas of watersheds and forests hit by hundreds of forest fires since the effects of the El Nino was felt late last year until the present.