The authorities in Region One are awaiting the Guyana Forestry Commission Report on the rubber trees located in Mabaruma, Region One.
During the latter part of February, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, revealed that the Guyana Forestry Commission had completed its examination of the at-risk century-old rubber trees that line Philbert Pierre Avenue in Mabaruma.
The minister had said that the report will be handed over to the relevant authorities in the Region, but to date this is yet to be done. When contacted on Friday, Mayor Chris Phang stated that he was not yet in receipt of the report, but is hoping that the town council gets a copy soon so that road works could continue.
Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley also informed that he too is not in receipt of a copy of the report and noted that the relevant authorities not having yet received the document is delaying the road works which have been stalled for over a year.
The rubber trees were scheduled to be felled during the latter part of January to facilitate the expansion of a road in Mabaruma. However, Dharamlall intervened and ordered that the planned cutting be halted until another consultation with residents takes place.
After the scheduled felling was halted, the town council moved to engage forestry experts to determine whether the trees are indeed a threat to lives of persons living in the town.
Once the report has been handed over and discussed, a consultation will be held with residents to determine a way forward. Phang says he hopes that the report will guide the residents in their decision-making process, assuring that the town council will listen to residents and move forward with whatever they decide.
The road expansion project in Mabaruma has been stalled since 2019 pending a decision on the part of residents regarding the removal of the trees.
The rubber trees were planted approximately 101 years ago by Philbert Pierre. Although there had been other tree-planting exercises involving rubber trees, those had never been successful.
