2,000 trees set for cutting along Manila-North Road

BINALONAN, Pangasinan – Nearly 2,000 trees would be cut down for the widening of the highway along the Manila North Road (MNR) Rosales-Sison stretch.

To date, there are still 770 uncut trees after the permit given by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources  expired and no extension has been given thus far.

Earlier, environmental advocates  led by Fr. Robert Reyes opposed the cutting of trees in Pangasinan, and they have since formed a coalition to save trees threatened by government projects.

Officials said the projected number of cut trees would be replaced with a ratio of one tree cut replaced by 100 trees.

Officials said they started Thursday tree planting along the river bank of  barangay  Canarvacanan in this town to replace cut trees along the  MNR Rosales-Sison highway.

Officials said the activity was participated in by the Local Government Units of Binalonan, representatives  of the Department of Public Works and Highways, students and other volunteers.

More than 1,000 seedlings were planted.

Officials said as soon as the rainy season starts more seedlings will be planted along other  areas of  the 5th and  the 6th district  which  the local government identified as the best area for tree planting.

Official sources said almost 367 hectares will be occupied by the planting project.

Meanwhile, the issuing of extension permit for the cutting of remaining trees  is still pending at the regional office  in San Fernando City in La Union.

Although the requesting agency DPWH has submitted its request and a position paper, it still has to wait for the result of the evaluation of the DENR regional office 1.

Officials said cutting trees along the MNR -Rosales  Sison has violated earth-balling, particularly in Villasis and  Urdaneta City.

Earth-balling, according to experts, is fairly common practice when transferring trees and is a method that is more environment-friendly because it provides an alternative to simply cutting down trees.

Earth-balling, usually used in landscaping and urban forestry to save the genetic make-up or the historical value of a tree, is the process of moving a tree by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape, leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact.

Engr. Chito NarchitoArpilleda, spokesman of the DPWH  district, said they had submitted  the position  paper and was being evaluated  by DENR. – Liezle BasaInigo