tHE HEADLINE should read:

Region 10 loggers WERE PAID BY THE PPP TO throw collective weight behind Bai Shan Lin

No matter how much these guys try to invent stories,the fact remains.

The foreigners are destroying our land.

The PPP new stakeholder and chief thug is this chap, he resembles baseman, could be related.

Bai Shan Lin is wrecking our forest; it is an environmental shame

Dear Editor, Over the last few days, we have had to endure startling revelations of harvesting operations in our forest by Bai Shan Lin: It is an environmental shame. Bai Shan Lin is wrecking our forest. Worse is that those institutions with specific and general responsibilities to protect this natural asset appear to be ready to defend the plunder of it by this company. No, they are not expected to be curators of our natural assets, but to ensure that such assets are transformed into value that could benefit citizens and lift them out of poverty. Instead of the Guyana Forestry Commission and other allied Ministries and agencies protecting our national, natural assets and securing the future of this and the next generation, they are allowing Bai Shan Lin to export raw logs without the requisite documents. We are saying that those agencies, the Guyana Forestry Commission, in particular, should not be engaging in public relations (publishing policies, which are not necessarily enforced) to defend what is clearly a breach of certain policies in the extractive sector, in this country. They ought to be making genuine efforts to educate the public about the rules governing forestry operations. Until that happens and citizens are better informed about what is happening with this natural asset, the authorities will adopt gesture politics. In poor societies like Guyana, regulation of the natural environment and its resources can be no better than popular understanding of why it is needed, and the rules that govern our assets will reflect any misunderstandings. The misunderstandings of ordinary citizens provide fertile grounds for special interests. Regulation not only protects, it redistributes. Regulations can be manipulated by large corporations, companies, governmental and state bodies, agencies and interest groups to their advantage. This is exactly what is happening in the case of Bai Shan Lin. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made it clear that it has not issued Bai Shan Lin with licence to export logs from Guyana. This is a very serious issue, because the EPA is the body set up by the state to protect and preserve the health and general integrity of the natural environment and its resources. If that body has not issued Bai Shan Lin the required permission to export logs, then who did? Also, if this body – EPA– was bypassed, as is suggested, then we have no way of knowing the nature and extent of damage done to our natural environment and how the operations of that company are affecting the ecosystems and residents in that and other areas contiguous to the operation of Bai Shan Lin. In the circumstances, it has to be admitted that Guyana has weak governance in this sector. The consequence? Plunder of our natural resources. What should have been the lifeline by which our people pull themselves out of poverty, has instead produced zero opportunities. It is dragging local communities down when it could have elevated their standard of living. How many jobs are created by the exportation of raw logs by Bai Shan Lin, as against how many jobs could have been created if that company was conducting a value added operation in Guyana? Local communities are really none the better for the large scale exportation of raw logs carried out by this foreign company. But the management of Bai Shan Lin should make a deliberate effort to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. First, they should ensure that their operations comply with: A Guide on Sustainable Overseas Silviculture by Chinese Enterprises, Beijing, the People’s Republic of China, August 27, 2007. Under that guide, fundamental requirements include: · Manage and utilize the forest resources legally. Chinese enterprises participating in the overseas investment concerning the management and utilization of forest resources shall file an application with the relevant departments of the host country to obtain the documents approved by the departments concerned, and manage, utilize and process the forest resources in strict accordance with the requirements such as the approved business place, area, quantity, type, operational scope, etc. no operations beyond the prescribed scope may be conducted. · Any contracted project, labour service cooperation, purchasing and management of timber and wood products, etc. concerning the forest management and utilization shall meet the requirements of the relevant laws and regulations established by both sides. · Manage and utilize the forest resources rationally. Give full play to the wood in the logging area, reasonably conduct cross-cutting so as to increase the multipurpose timber utilization rate in an all-round way. · Possess due forest fire prevention and forest pest and disease prevention and control facilities and measures. · Establish the multi-stakeholder publicity and consultation system. · Proclaim the main contents of the effective and legal documents of forest management and utilization to the local communities and the parties concerned. Make clear the form, content, time limit, etc. in accordance with the requirements of the local governments on establishing the pre-harvesting publicity and consultation system of forest harvesting and utilization. · The large scale harvesting shall be proclaimed in the local area; the forest harvesting units (individuals) shall also establish public signs in the wood-cutting areas and the surrounding traffic arteries, and proclaim the main content, operational period, etc. of legal harvesting documents approved by the departments concerned. · Take actions that suit local circumstances, adopt scientific and rational harvesting ways and operation measures, minimize the impact of forest harvesting on biological diversity, habitats of wild fauna and flora, ecologically fragile areas, natural landscape, water quantity and quality of forest watershed, forestland soil ecosystem and the regeneration of seedling and sapling, and ensure rapid recovery of the functions of forest ecosystem. · Take the corresponding measures to protect the forest, especially the forest with high conservation value. · When conducting felling area design, the enterprises concerned shall take full account of the undesirable effects of forest harvesting operation on surface rainfall and underground water resources, slow down soil corrosion, control soil and water erosion and avoid serious destruction to forest catchment due to harvesting. Judging from the partial contents of this guide, it seems quite clear to us that Bai Shan Lin may not be aware of this document. If it is aware, then it is not faithfully following this guide. In light of the aforementioned, we have made three requests: 1. That the Guyana Forestry Commission put a hold on Bai Shan Lin’s Operation, in all areas of Guyana, until it is properly regularized in accordance with the laws of Guyana 2. That the Guyana Forestry Commission publish Bai Shan Lin’s contract and its contents thereof; and 3. That the Environmental Protection Agency conducts the necessary tests and reports on the extent of damage done to the natural environment, in areas where Bai Shan Lin is harvesting trees. Finally, we, in Guyana, owe it to ourselves and the next generation to develop our economy in a sustainable way. Our watch words must be: good governance, accountability transparency, sustainability and environmental ethnics. It is time, high time, for all those, who are concerned about the health and well-being of the natural environment to act. Let us act now! Royston King Executive Director Environmental Community Health Organization

Really, Cain?

The role of Bai Shan is to buy logs from local loggers and to provide value added manufacturing in Guyana.

Instead they expect the raw logs.  So what value do they bring to the table?

It is not a matter what the loggers say. It is a matter of what we see on the ground and that is disturbing. One can go anywhere from Cameroon to Mozambique to Papua New Guinea where local loggers were enraged at attempts to curtail logging. Those nations are denuded, pillaged and have nothing to show for it. This is not and should never be grounds to let the rapacious logging go on.

The nation need to know exactly what is going on, what species are allowed to be logged, the manner of the logging and the controls in place. The Chinese have ruined nations, economies, people cultures in their aggressive pursuit of timber. Until the nation know this is not happening ( we actually see evidence it is happening) the logging should stop.

Albert, you have no credibility.

Bai Shan Lin ignores local requirement in exporting Locust wood to China

Unprocessed Locust and Crabwood should first satisfy local demand before any such wood can be exported overseas; but this is not the case with Bai Shan Lin. It has been found that the company is planning to export over the course of the next six months, 250,000BM of Locust wood, despite local operators approaching them to buy.

Some of the locust wood ready for shipment to China while local demand is being ignored

On Monday last, Haimorakabra Logging Inc, one of Bai Shan Lin’s companies, wrote to the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GM&SA) to indicate its intention to ship the lumber. Haimorakabra Logging Inc. is now owned by Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. A representative from a local company had approached the company last week to purchase some of the Locust wood for local consumption. This publication has since been told that Gao Yuan, Manager of the Chinese-owned operations reportedly expressed shock that the Locust wood was advertised for sale since he indicated that it was destined for export to China. According to the letter of intention addressed to GMSA’s President, Clinton Williams, by Yuan, the company intends to ship the wood to Heilongjiang Baishanlin Wood Company Ltd., in China. Government had initially not made known what exactly are their arrangements with Bai Shan Lin. The company is now facing investigations by the Opposition after revelations that it is involved in large-scale logging, even allegedly hiding behind third parties to mask the exports. There have been questions over the company’s involvement in Guyana, with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment appearing in Parliament to answer questions. A look at export figures, unofficially supplied, indicated that for the first half of 2013, some 30,000 cubic metres of timber products were exported. For the first half of 2014, this figure rose to over 50,000 cubic metres. This would be significant as Guyana has introduced what is known as a disincentive scheme – a gradually increasing tax and royalty scheme. Despite the increase in tax, the exports have shot up. The Guyana Forestry Commission itself has not explained the rise in the exports, but industry insiders said that Bai Shan Lin is playing a major part in this. The deals with the company were reportedly signed during the period when former President Bharrat Jagdeo was heavily promoting his Low Carbon Development Strategy which among other things targeted increased tracking of illegal logging.