THE FORESTRY Department, with the support of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), recently seized and removed more than 900 pieces of illegally harvested timber from the Cape Clear Forest Estate in St Mary.

The pieces of wood, which were sawn into planks, were discovered during a routine patrol of the forest estate. The team of Forest Rangers discovered the sizeable, illegal logging operation on October 15.

“Upon discovery, the team proceeded to affix Notices of Seizure and mark the items. The officers also made a report to the Richmond Police Station, to ensure the police are aware in the event of attempts to remove the lumber before the agency commenced said process,” said Tanika Stewart, senior director, forest enforcement services at the Forestry Department, in an October 24 press release on the seizure.

Following the discovery, the agency made plans for the removal of the items, done over two days. The total amount removed at the end of the operation is 927 pieces of lumber – 804 pieces of board and 133 pieces of planks. Most of the lumber have been identified as Spanish elm (over 50 per cent), while other species identified are deal, also known as popnut and sweetwood.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the operation was well organised and took place over several weeks. Additionally, it has been found that the people who cut the lumber had purchased the stands of trees from an individual who claimed ownership of the forested property.

“I want to encourage persons to do their due diligence when purchasing timber. Ensure you are sure that the person selling the timber is authorised to do so. Additionally, I want to encourage private landowners with boundaries adjoining the forest estates to confirm their boundaries before carrying out any activity on their property. This will also prevent instances where trees from forest reserves are removed,” Stewart advised.

At the same time, she noted that the seizure was a demonstration of the agency’s commitment to stamping out illegal logging in the island’s forests.

“When trees are cut in this wanton fashion, it disrupts ecosystems and reduces the functions trees provide in sequestering carbon, supporting water supply, and even serving as a home for many other flora and fauna, which are critical parts of the ecosystem,” Stewart said.

The Forestry Department is the government agency responsible for the management and protection of government-owned forests, which include forest reserves and forest management areas. Some 48 per cent, or 527,394 hectares, of Jamaica is classified as forests, and the agency manages just over 122,000 hectares of this amount of forest cover.