Milling illegal? Where?

[Sawdustmaker]

Doing reasearch for a paper, i cam accross this,
Does anyone know what this is refering to?

"Some countries prohibit people from processing timber with chainsaws,
a common practice among small informal timber producers, on the grounds
that it is inefficient. They argue that less efficient processing increases pressure
on forests since people have to cut more logs to produce the same amount of
sawn wood. In reality, using chainsaws to process timber is not always less
efficient than using sawmills. Even though one gets lower recovery rates from
the portions of the tree trunk used, processing with chainsaws often allows
one to use a higher portion of the trunk and branches.11 Besides, the total
amount of sawn wood produced may increase if greater efficiency makes it
more profitable to produce sawn wood. This could lead to more logs being
harvested (Barr, 2001).

Illegal Logging : Law Enforcement, Livelihoods and the Timber Trade
Earthscan Forestry Library
Author: Tacconi, Luca.

 

[BobL]

I believe its illegal in Central American countries and some pacific islands.

It's a triple edged plot

1) Allows multinationals free run of the forests
2) Supposedly reduces illegal logging Ha!
3) Make poor people buy over priced lumber from big companies - is that us?

 

[JungleMist]

Many tropical third world countries have problems with illegal logging. I have heard that Ghana in Africa requires chainsaws to be licensed! Others require logs to be stamped certifying they are from permitted logging sites. I live in Belize and it is a big issue here. Belize was a British colony until 1981 and land not titled and privately owned is held by the government as "Crown Land". Most of this land is available for "Lease". Somewhat like homesteading.

But since this land is jungle and much of it is inaccessible to vehicles..... Then locals with chainsaws are constantly illegally felling the big hardwoods! Such as 3'-4' diameter Mahogany, etc. I have seen a lot of the illegal loggers work and they usually just use a chainsaw (with no guide) to mill the logs into boards in the jungle. Then they either carry the boards or pack them on horses. The problem is totally uncontrollable. Some of the land I have worked on is located along the border with Guatemala and there is nothing to stop Guatemalans from walking over a few hills and felling trees and taking the boards back.

The laws in Belize are rather loose and unenforced. I am not sure the exact legal status of chainsaw mills here. Many laws were created by the British before they left and have not been revised in 30 years.

 

[Labman]

I would have guessed Europe where the bureaucrats out number the trees.

 

[BlueRider]

here is a link to a great article on illigal logging.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101287.html

It indicates the biggest problem is large industrial and govenmental interests. while it does outline how small time poachers are responsible for much of the illigal logging in central and south america it also shows how it is demand driven and that there is large scale govenmental coruption that is the middle man in the demand-supply chain of illigal logging.

 

[Brmorgan]

Our firewood permits in British Columbia explicitly state that they do not enable the use of Alaskan-style and other chainsaw mills. People can get away with taking the odd tree for personal use, but if you try to sell wood cut from unofficially salvaged trees, you're playing with fire and could easily get nailed with a hefty fine. Technically even cutting for personal use could carry a decent fine though I'm not sure what it is. I think the forestry officials have bigger fish to fry, and I have never heard of someone getting nailed for doing that. Mind you, I don't know that many people locally with CSMs.

The government does give out small-scale salvage permits of up to 50 Cubic Meters. Last I checked a couple years ago, the price was something like $12.50 per cube. Think though - one cube is equivalent to a 6X6 beam 100 feet long! I've been hearing that these permits are becoming harder and harder to get though. And it seems to be for the reasons that Bob pointed out. The government is increasingly talking about "selling" (more like leasing, but the end result is the same) vast tracts of forest to the big companies, rather than just giving out individual timber sales for the specific areas to be logged. I'm not in favor of this at all, because it opens the doors to corporations having total control of and blocking access to fishing lakes, hunting land, back roads, and most importantly to me, to free firewood. There has been a noticeable push against burning firewood for heat in the last few years. Insurance rates have skyrocketed for many people, and the code requirements (both structural and emissions) for new wood-burning installations are getting ridiculous. Though, I have to say that if the mills had control over the forests and free firewood cutting got shut down around here, half the town would probably show up with chainsaws and trucks in the various millyards and just take it.

 

[BobL]

The strict legal situation here in my home state of Western Australia (WA) is a lawyers paradise.

1. Logs of WA timbers 1.5m in length or under on private land - no license or permits required at all to either move or sell product obtained from it. Requires a CLM60 (“licence to sell protected (native) flora taken from private land”) to sell the wood, cost $25.
2. Logs of WA timbers over 1.5m in length on private land milled on site – CLM60 is required to be completed by Govt officer with the owners signature in order that the timber can be sold, cost $25.
3. Logs of WA timbers over 1.5m in length on private land, removed for milling off site – Owner Identification Code application required prior to transport, cost $45, CLM60 is then required to be completed by Govt officer with the logs origin in order that the timber can be sold, cost $25.
4. Logs of non WA native timbers, can be milled on site or transported and milled off site and then the timber sold with no permits or licenses required.
5. Logs of WA timbers over 1.5m in length on crown land milled on site – FPC minor production licence (only if the wood is from the forest floor ie. already felled. This is at the discretion of the FPC first) and CLM61a or just a CLM61 if no minor production license is issued is required to be completed by me with the owners signature in order that the timber can be sold, cost $100 (for the CLM61/61a – not sure of Production contract costs, if required).
6. Logs of WA timbers over 1.5m in length on crown land removed for milling off site – this actually starts taking you into FPC contracts and tenders, information on which can be obtained from the FPC website to begin with. If they then forward you through to DEC you may require CLM61, $100.
7. Any logs of WA timbers can be milled on private property for the owners on a contract basis (owner to keep timber) with no paperwork being completed by me. If they were to sell the wood, they need a CLM60
8. Flora (if taken/felled from a live tree) from crown land requires a CLM61 or CLM61a to sell it, no matter what the size. Dead wood does not require a licence to sell.

As discussed, CLM60 has to details specific properties, so property details and permissions need to be supplied with the application. However the CLM61, as long as you have one valid permission, we can issue the licence and further permissions (written) received can be attached to the back of the licence when undertaking activities.

When a mate of mine asked a "Govt officer" how many CLM60s have been issued for situations 1, 2, 3 and 7, and CLM61s issued for situation 8, the response was "rather vague" and he translated that into "none"!

I showed these regs to the Tree lopper I mill for and he laughed, he has never heard of anyone complying with these regs and no one being asked to comply. What it does give is the govt a big stick to beat people over with if they want to!