Illegal loggers agree to reforest an area of the Peruvian rainforest.

From illegal logging to reforestation

Giving alternatives for sustainable development

From a PROCREL press release dated 16th April 2008

70 TIMBER LOGS ILLEGALLY CUT DOWN ARE CONFISCATED

On the afternoon of Monday April 14th the Community Esperanza, Atum stream, Tahuayo river tributary, in the buffer zone of the Regional Conservation Area, Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo (ACRCTT), carried out an operation to confiscate 70 timber logs of cedar and cumala trees from illegal loggers.

Accusations of illegal logging had been made by the Governor of the Community Esperanza, Mr. Eguer Guayllahua and other community authorities which alerted Engineer Elvis Noriega, the specialist in forestry control for INRENA, Franco Rojas, coordinator of ACRCTT, Julio Gutiérrez and Carlos Ríos, apprentices on the technical team supporting the PROCREL project and Javier Alvear, member of the national police in Buena Vista. This team gave a second warning to the loggers before moving in to confiscate the logs.

The team that commanded the operation against illegal logging.

The illegal loggers captured were identified as Melitón Enrique and César Fasabi Chota, who had on an earlier occasion logged 30 cumala trees, and on this second occasion they logged 15 cedar and 55 cumala. They pleaded that the logging was necessary to provide funding for their sick parents.

The operation began at 1:00 pm and by 7:30 pm, the marked logs were delivered for safe custody to the Community Esperanza where they await the decision of INRENA as to their final destination.

The next day, Wednesday 15th, in Iquitos, Melitón Fasabi Chota, the illegal loggers’ representative signed an agreement with PROCREL’s technical and legal team to reforest four hectares with Aguaje in their communal plot. The work is to be completed within two weeks and the culprits are also committed by the agreement to maintain the reforested area.

Melitón Fasabi Chota, illegal logger, signed a reforestation commitment with Aguaje.

PROCREL will provide financial aid for the planting of saplings in the reforestatation  areas in accordance with the model for CO2 sequestration promoted in the Peruvian Amazon by Tolerance International.

The Tolerance International Foundation will include this initiative in their TICOF programme that is made possible by the financial support of companies in the United Kingdom.

A total of three similar operations of confiscation and reforestation have been carried out in the zone. Such operations will continue with the support of local authorities, who are very concerned about the dangers of deforestation in the Regional Conservation Area, Tamshiyacu – Tahuayo.

(Left) Illegal logs were also confiscated last year in the Tahuajo zone. (Right) Reforestation in the illegally logged area will be carried out in accordance with the proposals of PROCREL and Tolerance International.