Items of Interest

Ecology in Belize | Belize Rain Forests | Kiln Drying Methods

For some time we have had a link to, and some remarks about, the article "Rain Forest on Chopping Block in Belize" by Mary Jo McConahay. She laments the fact that the government has permitted "Malaysian-backed companies" to log areas of the Columbia River Forest Reserve. She echoes the dissent of the local Maya farmers who are "using slash and burn methods and rotating fields in a careful, sustainable way." The images are out best attempt at giving you an idea about what the various woods look like. There are significant differences among samples within most species & differences among monitors' color resolutions.

The logging has been a volatile issue not only with environmental groups, but also with the opposition party in Belize. It seems to be mentioned in every opposition newspaper article regardless of the actual subject of the article.

Some of our wood comes from a company presently logging in Belize. We have offered advice and technical assistance to this company. We strive to be pro-environment. We came to this business because we are woodworkers who value wood, and we want to be sure that there is a continued supply of exotics for our own use, for your use, and for the use of future generations.

Please take a look at what follows and consider what practices threaten the environment of Belize.

What follows is the result of our Jan, 1998, field trip into the Columbia Forest logging concession. The road is long, difficult to navigate, and has been built at the expense of a local sawmill, not the government which is frequently not the case in the United States.

Maya Slash and Burn Farming

The road runs for miles past many traditional Maya farms, and this picture shows a typical one. In the lower right you see part of the thatched roof of a traditional house. In the background is a field being burned in preparation for the planting of corn and bananas. The soil is poor and thin, and without the help of modern fertilizers it will normally provide acceptable crops for only a few years. The foreground area is an abandoned field which will support only low, shrubby weeds and palms — it will not be fertile again any time soon.



Here is a closer view of a slashed and burned field.



The traditional Maya believe that there is no need to recycle the land when there is plenty of new forest to burn, and a new house can be built so easily and inexpensively.

The pictures on this page were taken in the Columbia River Forest Reserve concession. The area has already been logged — no more trees will be taken out. The road itself is the only sign that any work has been done, and, other than the road, the changes to the environment are not detectable from the air nor from the ground. Including the road, less than 5% of the trees have been removed.



Harvestable trees within one km. of the road are marked by government officials. Then they are cut, dragged to the road, and loaded for transportation to the mill.



The mill currently consists of three large buildings — one houses the large band head rig, four band resaws, blade grinding equipment, etc., and the other two buildings are used for air drying and storage of lumber. As part of the company's agreement with the Belizean government, the mill employs local workers. Currently about seventy Belizians work here.



Soon construction will begin on three dry kilns. Having kilns makes it possible for the company to manufacture flooring, millwork, and other products which will create a need for additional employees and provide an added, much needed boost to the country's economy.



On our way from the logging area back to the mill we passed this scene. Dolomite and other minerals are mined in the area — in this case a small hill which was forested (just like the one behind it) is being removed completely. What is to become of the hill in the background?

Keep in mind that trees, properly managed, are a sustainable resource. Once a hill is gone it will never come back. And, the ground that is left will be sterile, ugly, and unable to support any meaningful vegetation for generations.



Everywhere in Belize one sees a significant number of citrus groves. In the foreground is a valley which once was forest — it has been clear cut, and orange trees have been planted. Initially the valley areas were the only ones cleared for citrus. But, in the last several years, we have noticed a disturbing trend — the hillsides are being cleared for citrus.

We suspect that the lives of many of the trees in the background are limited. Citrus trees planted on a hillside will never be as productive as those in the valley. But, since there is a strong export market for oranges, we believe that the trend will continue.



Another major export of Belize is sugarcane. In the foreground is a section of field from which the cane has been harvested — the field is burned before the cane is cut.

To the right is standing cane, and in the background is forest. Originally, this entire area was forest.



During the harvest season there is a parade of cane-filled trucks on the road leading to this sugarcane refinery. Frequently, several hundred trucks may be waiting to unload.

The particulates which are emitted by the stacks you see here blanket everything in the area which is downwind. They are, as a minimum, a severe nuisance. What is the possibility that they are also a major health hazard?



And finally, this idyllic scene is found almost everywhere in Belize. These cows are grazing under a large Spanish cedar tree — the only vestige of a once-forested area.

The Cattle industry is responsible for significant clear cutting in Belize and also poses a threat to the water supply.



The Issues

• Belize must support a population in need of better and more jobs, food, housing, medical care, education and infrastructure.
  
  
• Belize is rich in natural resources which deserve to be protected against encroachment.
  
  
• Belize appears to lack the capital and expertise required to convert from its agrarian economy to an industrial, manufacturing economy any time soon.
  
  

• Protecting the forest against all encroachment is a simple, attractive policy which completely ignores the needs of the people. Believing that such a solution is possible, or could work, is naive.

• De-emphasize ecologically destructive use of land.
  
  
  • De-emphasize surface mining insofar as possible — it is responsible for severe, nearly irreparable environmental damage.
    
    
  • De-emphasize beef production which requires clear cutting, pollutes water sources, destroys soil and is an ecologically inefficient source of protein.
    
    
• Put each piece of land to its best use.
  
  
  • Use most of the flat land for citrus, corn, rice, bananas, pineapple and other row crops which provide food and exports.
    
    
    • Encourage the use of modern, ecologically sound methods to improve the soil and yields.
    • Develop agricultural education and a national agricultural policy.
    • Develop processing and manufacturing facilities to add value to the produce and provide additional jobs.
    • Maintain some low-lying, flat land in forest to preserve bio diversity and to ensure the availability of forested areas to eco-tourists.
      
      
  • Leave hilly and mountainous areas in forest.
    
    
    • Log at sustainable levels to provide economic benefit and improve forest health.
    • Log only mature trees, and allow some mature trees to die naturally so as to assure bio diversity.
    • Replant when and where appropriate.
    • Discourage any industry which uses immature trees.
      
      
• Encourage tourism, especially eco-tourism. But, be realistic about the fact that it alone cannot provide economic value to the forest adequate to assure its continued existence.
  
  
• Encourage foreign investments which create jobs, add value to products, import expertise and technology, upgrade education and skills — but only if they can be reconciled with the need to protect the environment.