Dear Editor,
I refer to Ms Muni Schanzenbacher’s second article in Stabroek Business on October 24, 2008 – ‘Choosing long-term environmental security over short-term business interests.’
There is a management plan for the non-timber forest products in the Three Brothers Amerindian titled village lands in the lower Waini, Northwest District. This plan deals with harvesting of cabbage palm (Euterpe oleracea) and crabwood tree seeds (Carapa guianensis) with controls administered by the village council.
The Guyana Forestry Commission has codes of practice for the harvesting of the forest climbers nibbi and kufa, used in cane furniture, although those codes are not presently on its website and are not used.
The GFC has a code of practice for cabbage palm, in second draft since 2003, also not used.
In relation to forest-based carbon management, I draw to her attention the study by Hans ter Steege (2001) Biomass estimates for forests in Guyana and their use in carbon offsets, developed for Iwokrama and concluding that “the prospects of carbon gains in Guyana are relatively small.” This is hardly surprising, given the infertile soils and slow growth of the dominant trees. It would be misleading to imply to international audiences that Guyanese forests are under threat of conversion/deforestation for farming as in Africa or South Asia. It should be noted that the President of Guyana has publicly stated his intention to continue the current logging (with massive over-cutting of the commercially preferred timbers) while appealing for REDD funds and other international support. This appeal is, to put it mildly, very misleading. Please note also that Guyana being on a list for consideration for REDD funding, and being on an advisory committee for the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Fund, does not mean that Guyana will automatically receive substantial funds, especially in view of the President’s derogation.
Yours faithfully,
Janette Bulkan
