Mayor hits DENR on pine tree infestation

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan chided the Community Environment and Natural Resources here urging it to conduct a study on how to prevent massive infestation of pine trees that caused their death instead of trying to look for loopholes on validly issued emergency tree cutting permits to make city officials liable.

           

The local chief executive made the reaction after a validation team from the DENR central office arrived in the city to check validity of emergency tree cutting permit issued by the city mayor for cutting of 60 dead pine trees inside Camp John Hay.

“We are alarmed over the increasing number of dead trees all over the city because of the bark beetle infestation which is now spreading rapidly all over the city,” Domogan said, adding the CENRO must initiate measures to prevent infestation of live trees and inflict serious damage to the city’s environment.

The city mayor said CENRO and city government experts must work together on how to get rid of the massive pine tree infestation that is causing the untimely death of trees rather than spending more of their time pinpointing those responsible for the cutting of dead trees with valid emergency tree cutting permits issued by the local government.

“Records will bear us out that the application for tree cutting permit was filed before the CENRO way back last year but it seems nothing was done about it so we were forced to issue the emergency tree cutting permit for such purpose in order to prevent the sudden cancellation of the Fil-Am invitational golf tournament,” Domogan said.

The added issuance of the emergency tree cutting permit went through the process of investigation by experts and not just mere representatives from the concerned agencies and offices.

He claimed one of the most alarming problems of the city government in its effort to preserve and protect the remaining watersheds is the massive infestation of the bark beetle that is causing the death of many trees in just a few months, thus, concerned agencies must act fast before it will be too late.

“The issuance of emergency tree cutting permits is done above board because we involve all concerned sectors in the inspection of the trees that are being applied for a tree cutting permit but it seems there are some groups and individuals who dislike our actions and use it to advance their own personal and political interests, especially this time that election is just around the corner,” Domogan said, adding that he is open to an impartial investigation on the matter in order to clarify issues and concerns that are currently being hurled against the local government in matters of the issuance of emergency tree cutting permits.

He cited CENRO must already come out with its findings and recommendations on how to prevent the massive infestation of pine trees so that the local government could adopt it and prevent live trees from being contaminated by the bark beetle that slowly causes the death of the pine trees thereby resulting to the city’s loss of its pine-scented air and scenic spots due to the presence of live pine trees in over 20 percent of the city’s 5,000-square kilometer land area.