Royal Timbers Inc (RTI) has received environmental authorisation for its logging project in Region Seven.
In a public notice, the EPA announced that Royal Timbers State Forest Exploratory Permit (SFEP) 02/2020 Logging Project, located at Left Bank Mazaruni River, Right Bank Puruni River, Region No. 7, has been approved pursuant to Section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act.
RTI’s concession measures 107,670.54 hectares. The concession was once held by Puruni Wood Products Inc under the SFEP 2004. That company held the concession up to 2007 when its operations were terminated and the area reverted to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
Royal Timbers said it is seeking to conduct sustainable operations by developing an integrated logging and sawmilling business. It plans to develop three portable sawmilling facilities within its concession to process the logs harvested. It is estimated by the company that it will harvest 17,567.52 cubic metres of timber from 21 blocks per year and will invest US$2.8 million to develop the concession.
Since the project could have various environmental implications, the EPA in 2020 stated that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be required for the development of the proposed project before any decision to either reject or approve it can be made. The company has since conducted an EIA. The consultants, Forestry Training Center Inc (FTCI), who conducted the EIA said while there will be negative social and environmental impact such as forest degradation, the company’s operation will be a critical driver of economic development within the Kartabu Triangle.
“It’s in the area that will see the injection of millions of dollars into the economy of the Kartabu Triangle. There will be major benefits for miners in terms of improved, free access to their resources, which could lead to expanded gold output and all the ancillary benefits that that will generate, including an expanded revenue base for the relevant public agencies and expansion of the jewellery sector,” said FTCI.
There are no communities near or in the concession. Miners with claims on the concession will be affected but the EIA found that miners are willing to work with the company to find solutions to that issue.
The project will also impact wildlife. The EIA found that moving arboreal animals such as sloths and birds trapped in nests may be killed during tree felling activities. Noise, vibration, and tree removal disrupts the habitats of animals in the canopy and the understory, placing them under stress and forcing their temporary migration.
Mitigation measures include inspecting trees to be felled for nesting birds such as the harpy eagle and other animals; ensuring a systematic manner of timber harvesting so that once a block is harvested, the operation moves on to allow animals to return, and restricting hunting activities (by non-Indigenous groups) by placing advisory notices at strategic points around the concession area.
According to the EPA, the EIA fully complied with the Terms and Scope which were set by the EPA in view of the submissions made by members of the public; adequately addressed the views and feedback expressed by members of the public and other stakeholders during consultations and the statutory sixty-day public review period; and assessed the potential adverse effects or risks posed by the project. It also noted that the Environmental Mitigation Plan proposes appropriate and adequate measures to mitigate the same.
The Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) has also approved the EIA, hence the approval of the permit.
The EIA can be accessed on the EPA’s website or uplifted at the agency’s office at Ganges Street, Sophia. Georgetown.
