Negros forest reserve depleting

GOVERNOR Alfredo Marañon Jr. said Thursday that the Northern Negros Forest Park is depleting and that he will order a resurvey of the whole forest area to make sure of its present condition.

Marañon issued a statement Thursday in a meeting of the Northern Negros Natural Park Management Board at the Governor’s Conference Hall that from 100,000 hectares, the present forest cover of the province has now been reduced to 70,000 hectares.

The Forest Park covers 11 towns and cities in the province from the cities of Talisay to Cadiz and their surrounding areas. The park is recognized as a national forest reserve.

The depletion of our forest cover, Marañon said, is due to rampant charcoal-making, illegal logging and small-scale kaingin farming.

These illegal activities, he added, continue despite the presence of members of Task Force Ilahas, Bantay Bukid Brigade and massive reforestation projects of the Provincial Government.

“That is why there is a need to inculcate in the minds of everybody that protecting our remaining forest cover should be a concerted effort of everybody and that we must preserve our forest for the future generation,” he added.

"We are abundant in water in the province because we have this forest cover," Marañon stressed.

The governor has been complaining about contradicting moves by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which would usually order the release of seized lumber from suspected illegal logging operation. One of the recent incidents of which was in Talisay City where the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) reportedly ordered the release of the seized lumber.

Marañon said he will have the case verified and investigated. (Teresa D. Ellera)