AFC signs on to petition against forest bill

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56530929

AFC signs on to petition against forest bill
Stabroek News, Sunday, October 14th 2007


The Alliance for Change (AFC) has joined a petition against the Forest
Bill 2007 since it is doubtful that the legislation is adequate for the
protection and management of forest resources and for proper due
diligence on forest sector investors before a decision is made.

But even though the party expressed serious concerns about many aspects
of the Forestry Bill 2007, it welcomes the statement by the Minister of
Agriculture, Robert Persaud that the bill would be sent to a special
select committee.

Forest researcher and activist Janette Bulkan started the petition in
opposition to the Forest Bill. The petition - which calls for the bill
to be withdrawn - will be put before the National Assembly by the AFC
upon the resumption of sittings of Parliament following the annual
recess.

The petition states in the preamble that a number of the sections and
clauses of the Draft Forests Act 2004 were excised from the Forest Bill
2007 without explanation and justification for the deliberate removal
of some, and insertion of new clauses and sections which, taken
together, weaken the Forest Bill 2007.

"The final publicly-available draft Forests Act 2004 benefited from the
vision for the forestry sector set out in the National Development
Strategy 2000-2010 and from broad stakeholder consultations and
international best practice at that time. However, the legislative
revisions of 1995-6 are now insufficient to adjust to the newer
international imperatives concerning trade in tropical timbers and the
need for independently verifiable proof of legal and sustainable
production," the petition states.

In a press release on Thursday, the AFC said that the forest resources
of Guyana are an important component of the nation's patrimony. Its
conservation and protection would only be best secured when the
Government fully recognises the real value derived from forest
products, environmental services and the accrued social benefits of
these resources primarily to Guyanese, in the pursuit of sustainable
development and poverty alleviation.

It said that this should be the fundamental basis upon which the PPP/C
administration must provide a policy and legal framework for the
strengthening of institutions and the enforcement of laws for the
management, conservation and sustainable development of "this nation's
land and forest resources."

The party referred to Article 36 of the Constitution which states: "In
the interest of present and future generations, the state will protect
and make rational use of its land, mineral and water resources, as well
as its fauna and flora, and will take all appropriate measures to
conserve and improve the environment."

According to the AFC, one of the specific concerns of importance at
this time is that almost the whole of Guyana's forest estate has been
allocated for timber production. The AFC said too that the National
Forest Policy identifies forest lands not only for production but for
protection, conversion and conservation. "The Forest Bill #21/2007 has
made no provision that ensures that important aspects of land and
forest resource management [are] enshrined in law," the AFC said.

Another concern of the AFC regards the 1996 Exploratory Lease
legislation which was proposed and supported by the Government and
approved in Parliament.

"This ensured that due diligence had to be conducted on forest sector
investors before any decision was made on the issuing of a Timber Sales
Agreement. This important component of that legislation has now been
totally ignored in the new Forest Bill.