A timber-harvesting ban on lands owned by regional plantation companies (RPCs) has been lifted on a directive issued by the Presidential Secretariat recently, considering concerns raised on behalf of these companies by the Planters’ Association (PA) of Ceylon.
In October last year, the government prohibited the felling of trees on RPC lands for timber, until further notice but permitted these companies to cut trees for fuel wood use. The planters have brought to the notice of authorities that this restriction on timber harvesting did more harm than good as it reduced the income for RPCs and also encouraged illegal logging. Considering these representations, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge has issued a directive permitting these companies to carry out timber harvesting for six months subject to Central Environmental Authority (CEA) environmental inspections and environmental assessment, said CEA Chairman Charitha Herath.
The felling of trees in an ad hoc manner will not be allowed, he said, adding that the companies should carry out programmes of replanting trees continuously. After the wake-up call of climate change sweeping across the world like a tsunami-hit fever, people are now realizing the consequences of their actions. No more cutting down trees or polluting the environment since they can bring deadly natural disasters directly triggered off by their own actions, he said adding: “There might not even be a tomorrow for our children if this pattern continues.”
The PA, the representative body for 23 RPCs, said the companies have been involved in forestry management for fuel wood and timber, since the 1970s. They have also been supplying timber to national agencies like the Ceylon Electricity Board for electricity posts and the Railway Department for sleepers. Timber from RPC lands were also marketed for other purposes such as building construction and furniture manufacture. The association noted that harvesting of fuel wood and timber by RPCs, is conducted in accordance with a Forestry Management Plan (FMP) approved by the Ministry of Plantation Industries, under the supervision of a number of government agencies, and was therefore not an environmental threat.
The largest extent of commercial forest, next to the forest plantations that come under the Forest Conservation Department, is now under the management of RPCs. The total extent of forests under RPC management is now over 20,000 hectares and over 10 million trees, said Priya Gunawardene, a specialist in forestry management at Hapugastenne Plantations PLC and Udapussellawa Plantations PLC.
Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium are the most commonly cultivated trees under RPC forestry programmes, for fuel wood, while trees such as teak and mahogany are cultivated for higher value timber purposes. In addition to cultivating forests for fuel wood and timber, the RPC forestry programmes also conserve natural forests and reserves. RPC forestry programmes are a source of renewable energy for tea manufacturing that is also less costly than imported fossil fuels, he added.
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