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
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