18 August

SAGAING  Region  is  logging  timber  lower  than  its  annually  permitted volume, said U Than Soe, the Director of the Sagaing Region Forest Department.

“The  incumbent  govern-ment only prohibited harvesting timber in 2015. In the following years, the government granted timber extraction in some states and regions. Sagaing Region has high  timber  harvests  because  it  has  many  forests.  But,  we  produced timber at lower than the annually permitted volume. Based on the calculations of the volume of the forest, authorities decided on the volume of logging in  such  a  way  that  the  logging  cannot cause deforestation with-in a year,” said U Than Soe.

Saging  region  has  plenti-ful  forests,  compared  to  other  states  and  regions.  Currently,  Bago  Yoma  is  not  permitted  to  extract  timber.  Other  states  and regions are permitted to cut down  timber,  depending  upon  the volume of the forest. Some forests could not be allowed to produce timber.

“Katha, Mawlaik, Kalay and Kani districts form Sagaing re-gion and are felling large trees (Kanyin),  including  ironwood  and teak. Also, they are planting hardwood and teak trees,” said U Than Soe.

Forests often have difficul-ties  in  replenishing  new  trees.  So,  natural  forest  planting  ac-tivities  are  being  conducted  in  targeted areas.—Myo Win Tun (Monywa)  (Translated by Hay Mar)