Jettoo’s Lumber Yard and Sawmill (JLYS) is planning a logging operation in the Mazaruni, Region Seven and says it will invest over US$2 million in the first five years of business.
The company has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental authorization to undertake the project. An EPA notice in yesterday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle said that in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for the logging project before any decision to approve or reject the proposed project is taken, since the development may have significant impacts on the environment.
JLYS says that it intends to invest in excess of US$2 million within the first five years of the operation. The project will have an initial life span of 25 years. It is expected that the company will employ approximately 150 persons once the project is in full operation.
The EPA has invited members of the public to make written submissions to the agency within 28 days of the notice being published, setting out questions and matters which they require to be answered or considered in the EIA.
According to the project summary, the project site consists of an area of State Forest of 33,853 hectares (83,651 acres). This area of prime forest was allocated through a State Forest Exploratory Permit (SFEP) which was approved by the government and issued by Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). The forest concession is location within the Mazaruni-Puruni Triangle in the Mazaruni Potaro District, Region Seven.
The company says that its primary goal is “to develop a viable, integrated and composite timber business venture of logging and sawmilling operations on the principles of sustainable forestry practices to create the maximum value possible.” The summary noted that the company has already established a significant sawmilling operation and is now in the process of acquiring the forest concession which would facilitate a more efficient operation and allow it to increase its market share locally and on the international market.
The company says that the primary purpose of the logging operation is to secure raw materials needed for its existing sawmilling operation and other downstream processing plants located at Coverden, East Bank Demerara.
According to the project summary, the first phase of the project is to construct the main road to access the concession and to establish a base camp within the concession. The base camp will consist of housing facilities for workers, workshop, warehouse and log yard.
“Once the facilities are in place logging will commence. Logs will be harvested from the approved harvesting blocks and transported to a log yard for grading. The logs will then be transported by logging trucks to Kartabu Point where it will be loaded onto barges for shipment via river to the processing facilities at Coverden. A 4.5% of the productive forest will be set aside as a biodiversity reserve,” the summary says.
In explaining the rationale for the project, the summary says that JLYS is an established sawmill operator and has over two decades experience in the forestry sector and has been exporting rough and dressed lumber to overseas markets for approximately 15 years. “To sustain its operations the company is currently sourcing rough chain cut lumber from SFPs holders and logging communities as well as TSA holders. However, the fluctuation in the provision of raw materials and quality of material from these suppliers has been affecting the efficiency of the company’s operation and the ability to meet market obligations,” the summary explained.
JLYS says that its project will be based on a ‘sustained yield management programme’ and operated in accordance with GFC’s Code of Practice for Forest Operations. The logging operation will be established within the concession to supply logs for the existing sawmilling and downstream processing operations and to produce high quality lumber for both the domestic and overseas markets.
Currently the company is in the exploration phase where the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Forest Inventory are being conducted and the Five Year Management Plan/Annual Operation Plan being prepared. Once this phase is successfully completed the company will pursue the Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) from the GFC which would allow for project implementation.
