New initiative seeks to sustain Toledo forests

On Friday the Toledo Healthy Forest Initiative was launched with the first meeting of its task force. The Initiative’s purpose is to develop a sustainable forest management programme in the southernmost district. In his address to the gathering, Minister of Natural Resources Johnny Briceño, said Toledo has the healthiest forests in the country and it’s crucial that we address the issue of sustainability now rather than twenty years down the road.

Johnny Briceño, Minister of Natural Resources
?Toledo is the only district that has a healthy forest. When we look at the whole history of Belize has been formed on forestry, but unfortunately over the years we have been practising unsustainable forestry. If you look on the upper half of Belize, the Belize District, the Orange Walk District and the Corozal District there is virtually no forest left. We see now Toledo having this healthy forest and it is important for us to include the community to devise a plan to address the very core issues of poverty and how is it that the people in Toledo can benefit from the forest. We want to address the issue of the community based forest initiative, long term logging licenses. How is it that we are going to address it and at the end of the day that we could address head on the issue of poverty in the Toledo District.?

?Certainly I think the reaction has been good, positive but at the same time with a bit of scepticism. They have seen many initiatives come and go in the Toledo District and they do not feel the results. So, my challenge to them is that they should take full ownership of what we are challenging them with, to ensure that they come with a plan where they can ensure that the people of Toledo benefit and if there is a sense of ownership and participation, I am sure that there is going to be success in this initiative.?

Members of the task force include representatives from the Forest Departments of both Belmopan and Toledo, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, the Toledo Maya Women’s Council, the Toledo Alcalde’s Association, the Toledo Development Corporation and the Southern Alliance for Grassroots Empowerment.