Guatemala: Deforestation in the mountains of Sololá

Indigenous organizations, development committees, community development councils, and residents reject wanton logging in the  mountains of Sololá. Marcelino Ibaté, president of the Development Committee, stated that they observe trucks loaded with logs that are transported to sawmills. Mary Sicajau, from the Organización Campesina de Sololá said that people need to be educated about deforestation so that they plant trees. The community leader Agustín Saloj said that the authorities should protect nature because seedlings are scarce.

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http://maya-paradise.blogspot.com/2009/02/concern-over-deforestation-in-solola.html

Guatemala: 36.3% —or about 3,938,000 hectares—of Guatemala is
forested. Of this, 49.7% —or roughly 1,957,000 hectares—is classified
as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest. Change in
Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Guatemala lost an average of
54,000 hectares of forest per year.

The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 1.14%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change increased by 12.8% to 1.28% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Guatemala lost 17.1% of its forest cover, or around 810,000 hectares.

Guatemala lost -402,000 hectares—0—of its primary forest cover during that time. Deforestation rates of primary cover have decreased 17.0% since the close of the 1990s.

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words: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Guatemala.htm

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