CENRO-Sabangan seizes lumber from 5 MP towns

By Esjay Zausa

SABANGAN, Mountain province -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office here confiscated 287 pieces of illegal lumber from January to February 2020 from Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sabangan, Sagada, and Tadian.

                Based on CENRO records, 20 pieces of the confiscated lumber were from Gotang, Balintaugan, 70 from Gong-gongo, Balinto, 172 from Bantey, Balintaugan, 47 from Malegleg Tambingan, 46 from Ipit Takba, Lacmaan and 34 from Dogodog, Tetep-an.

Meanwhile, two units of chainsaw were confiscated from Bagnen, Oriente and one unit of chainsaw is from Pudlak, Busa.

Trees are essential to the environment. It contributes a lot in preserving the water supply around the province. If cut, people of the community will not be able to smell fresh air and will surely result to water shortage,” said Charles Magwa, enforcement chief of CENRO-Sabangan.

Moreover, conserve-energy-future.com noted common effects of illegal logging in certain communities.

Living standards for indigenous populations may decrease while lives of indigenous communities and villagers living in proximity to the forests are destroyed because of illegal logging.

With global warming and climate change, illegal logging destroys trees that act as carbon sinks and climate regulators which play a significant role in global warming and climate change.

Aside from increasing global temperatures, the practice also accounts for  reduction of the total forest cover area exposing most of the lands to high temperatures and extreme weather conditions.

There is loss of biodiversity in forests as a result of illegal logging.

“A lot of species are unable to survive as the practice denies the habitat of the crucial natural interconnectedness. The extensive fragmentation and degradation of the forest has put more animal and plant species at the point of extinction.”

Apart from the numerous environmental consequences of illegal logging, it can also weaken the economy of poor countries. Illegal logging is said to lower the prices of timber in the ranges of seven percent to sixteen percent. 

Magwa said implementation of the anti-illegal logging drive was in compliance to their mission which is to mobilize citizenry in protecting, conserving and managing the environment and natural resources for present and future generations. 

“We want to let the people know that there are policies, rules and regulations that we follow. For now, illegal cutting of trees within natural and residual forest is under moratorium, unless they have permits,” Magwa said.

He added the CENRO continues its efforts in partnership with the different stakeholders and concerned agencies in combatting the increasing number of illegal logging activities within its jurisdiction. Esjay Zausa is a BSU DevCom intern