Best way to protect Dominican forests? Make it a business

Santo Domingo.- Senior executives of the DominicanForestry Chamber on Sunday said the best way to conserve privately-held forests is through polices which expand sustainableforest management plans where facilities allow, with ample tree planting andlumbering.

Rafael de Moya, Jose EIias Gonzalez andHumberto Checo said Dominican Republic has yet to profit from or fully exploitits forest resources.

They said there are currently some 60,480 hectaresof forests, so both the official and private sectors must establish economicallysustainable forestry as a national industry, since there are more than 300,000 hectaresunused.

Gonzalez said 67% of the country’s surfacecould sustain forests. "We firmly believe that trees can be planted andthen used without harming the environment, we must define what the agricultureand livestock areas are and what’s eminently for the forest industry."