Four hundred thousand hectares from the surrendered Barama forest concessions will be placed in conservation, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman has said.
Speaking at the inaugural stakeholder engagement session on Thursday at the University of Guyana, Trotman said, “When Barama surrendered its concessions it was 1.6 million hectares at the time. It represented one of the largest concessions in the world….”
Minister of State Joseph Harmon had announced last year that Trotman had presented a number of options for the alternative use for the land. Additionally, a cabinet subcommittee comprising Trotman, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock and the then Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence was set up since to discuss the matter.