Published Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Park rangers seize illegal logs



By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Rangers of the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve in Osa in the southern zone of the country seized 52 logs of wood that are presumed to have been cut down inside a protected area.

According to the park rangers' report, the wood was found after a complaint received by people from the community. "It is estimated that the market value of confiscated wood exceeds $2,620."

This wood was destined for a sawmill in the area where it would then be taken to construction sites in the same area, said the park rangers in its statement.

The wood was illegally cut down because permits that had not been obtained, rangers said.

The park rangers reported the illegal logging to the Osa Prosecutor's Office. No arrests were reported in this case.

This is the third illegal logging of wood within protected wild areas this month.

On Feb. 19, park rangers from the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area shut down two illegally woodchopping operations.

According to the park rangers' report, the cases began also after complaints made by people in the community.

In the first case, construction equipment was confiscated on land that was being preparing for the construction of a stable  just 30 meters from a spring of water near the community of Coyolar in Abangares.

In this case, the park rangers arrested two suspects, surnamed Centeno-Berrotera and Porras-Villarreal.

In the second case, the rangers arrested five suspects surnamed Pérez-Brenes, Valverde-Zumbado and three brothers named Bolívar-Carballo.

Within the environmental damage area, it was possible to detect the logging of 22 trees, some with diameters larger than 2 meters. Eight of these trees were cut right next to the spring water protection area. The other 14 trees were cut in the protected zone near Desjarretado River, said the park rangers.

In addition to the arrests, the rangers seized a tandem-type vehicle, loaded with more than 15,000 inches of wood, among them, of the tree species known as guanacaste, cedar and cenízaro.

The rangers made the complaint against the suspects before the Prosecutor's Office of Cañas, in Guanacaste.

Another similar case happened Feb. 12, within the La Amistad Caribe Conservation Area, in the South Caribbean Coast. In this case, in addition to the park rangers, agents from the Ministry of Environment participated in the operation.

According to the park rangers, the operations again responded to complaints made by people in the community.

Illegal logging took place in the Bananito area where a large number of freshly cut wooden boards were found. Also slabs of that wood were found hidden in a sawmill that also allegedly operated illegally.

The park rangers arrested 10 people as suspects of cutting down the wood, which was found near the protected area of Río Bananito.

The loss was approximately 35.55 cubic meters of valuable wood, with an approximate value of $34,939, said the park rangers in its statement.

In addition to the confiscation of wood, tractors, dredgers, saws, among other tools were confiscated. "After these seizures, we realize that there is an illegal timber mafia, and the logging found is connected with illegal industries," said Miguel Madrigal of the park rangers.

The park rangers opened a complaint, in the local prosecutor's office, against the suspects.

Park rangers called on citizens to report any suspicion of illegal logging of trees to lines: 11-92 and 4440-0942.




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