Guest guest Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 --Today for you 31 new articles about earth's trees! (405th edition) --Audio and Video version of Earth's Tree News: http://forestpolicyresearch.org --To Subscribe / to the world-wide email format send a blank email to: earthtreenews- OR earthtreenews- In this Issue: Asia South East Asia Index: --Russia: 1) 25% tariffs on exports have what kind of impact? --China: 2) 90 years-old and he's still climbing trees? --India: 3) Gov. can only fell precariously dangerous trees in Shimla, 4) 'Managing' the second largest island in Asia, 5) More on Kashmir timber smuggling, 6) Encroaching on last few patches of forests near Bangalore, 7) New checkpoint to thwart poaching, 8) University says 480 trees -- mostly teak, rain tree, mango and jackfruit to be chopped down, 9) We love the Coconut, 10) Why do leaopords stray into the city? 11) Sunderban tigers make it world's most dangerous place? --South East Asia: 12) Plantation development is by far biggest ecological impact, --Singapore: 13) Initiative to give one-stop access to geospatial content --Laos: 14) One of SE Asia's poorest nations plundered by in preparation for big huge dam plans, --Vietnam: 15) Kim Hy Nature Reserve threatened by illegal logging, 16) Police started legal proceedings against serious deforestation case in Phu Minh hamlet, 17) Forest history 1940-present, 18) Phu Yen and Quang Ngai provinces reported illegal destruction of large tracts of forest, --Thailand: 19) Resort island province of Phuket South Korea: 20) They've lost 42,513 hectares of forest land in the last five years, --Philippines: 21) Fast-paced deforestation in Caraga Region, 22) Rattan is a very important non-timber forest product, --Solomon Islands: 23) New forest conservation project to set up a network of protected areas, --Malaysia: 24) Bakun Hydroelectric Project, 25) Waterlogged landscapes need to stay that way, 26) Court ordered Pahang state to pay a RM60 million to company for breach of a controversial logging contract, --Indonesia: 27) Concern over many mining plans located inside protected forest areas, --Sumatra: 28) Hard working person behind conservation of Sumatran rhinoceros --Fiji: 29) Investigating claims being made against several logging companies --Papua New Guinea: 30) Why is Agarwood considered so important? 31) Greenpeace documents three major logging concessions, Articles: Russia: 1) The Russian Federal Government is trying to assist development of its forest industry by adding export taxes on logs, thereby limiting competition by foreign companies for the Russian timber, as reported by Wood Resource Quarterly. These taxes are currently 25% of the log value (minimum €15/m3) for softwood logs and are scheduled to increase to a minimum of €50/m3 (about US$78/m3) from January 2009. With the assumption that Russian exports of softwood logs may come to a halt in January next year due to prohibitively high log export taxes, there could be about 35 million m3 of softwood logs available to the domestic industry. The question is, will the Russian forest industry be able to expand the production capacity and process this wood domestically? Unfortunately, the short answer to this question is: NO. The Russian forest industry has increased softwood roundwood consumption on average 4 million m3 per year the past five years, but because of poor infrastructure, lack of investment capital, corruption, burdensome bureaucracy, lack of respect for property rights and political uncertainty, it is not likely that the industry will be able to expand much more rapidly in the near future than it did the past five years. This is going to have huge negative ramifications for thousands of Russian loggers, forest managers, and workers involved in the transportation of wood. The biggest changes in the Russian forest industry have come the past five years with substantially higher production of wood-based panels in particular. The pulp industry has not expanded as fast, although there are plans both for expansion of existing pulpmills and for new greenfield mills in the coming years. The area with the slowest growth has been that of lumber, with softwood production up only about 20% the past ten years and hardwood lumber production even declining 70% that seen in 1997. In summary, the only major expansion within the industry has occurred in sectors which account for only a small share of the total log consumption in Russia, according to WRI. http://www.newsdesk.se/view/pressrelease/russian-log-export-taxes-will-raise-une\ mployment-in-russia-says-wri-239651 China: 2) An elderly Chinese man is still climbing trees - at the age of 90. Gu Quanxi, of Xiabao village, Baoding, says tree climbing is the best thing in his life, and there's no tree he can't climb. " My family was very poor when I was a child, so I climbed trees each day to fetch leaves to make food for the family, " he told Yanzhao Metropolis News. " Now my family prohibits me from climbing tall trees, and they ask me to use a ladder to climb even shorter trees. " However, he revealed that he often wanders to the mountain side alone and climbs 30ft-60ft high trees to satisfy his addiction. Gu said the 40-year old walnut tree in his family yard has also been a good playground over the years. " Each year, the job of climbing and harvesting the nuts is all mine, " he added. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\09\13\story_13-9-2008_pg9_11 India: 3) The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday allowed the state Government to fell only precariously dangerous trees in Shimla town. For every tree felled, at least four saplings should be planted, it ruled. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Deepak Gupta passed these orders while hearing a special petition of the state Government, which sought the High Court's permission to cut down all those trees rendered dangerous after the last week's heavy rain, which had triggered landslides and uprooted trees in the town. Examining the report of a three-member committee formed by the Cabinet on Saturday, the Bench granted only conditional permission for cutting down 60-odd trees on a case-to-case basis, supported by evidence and photographs of the trees viewed dangerous to human lives. The court told Advocate General R K Bawa, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Pankaj Khullar and Conservator of Forests, Shimla, S K Sharma to ensure planting of four new saplings in lieu of each tree felled and strict ban on granting permission for construction at the site where each such tree was. The saplings planted should also be protected, the Bench observed. The court also told Khullar to have a personal re-look at some of the trees to be felled.The people on whose premises the trees would be felled, should also be informed of the conditions, it noted. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Only-precarious-trees-should-be-felled-in-Shim\ la--rules-Himachal-HC/364725 4) Meghalaya's largest river island is the next big thing in environmental mismanagement. Nongkhnum, in West Khasi Hills, believed to be the second largest island in Asia after Majuli in Assam, is losing its rugged beauty, thanks to rampant deforestation and charcoal stains. Timber sharks cut down trees and burn the wood to produce charcoal that is supplied to industrial units in Byrnihat, alloy-manufacturing units primarily. What used to be a lush river island is slowly turning into a denuded, ash-stained stretch and the government is doing precious little to save it. Meghalaya chief secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, who visited the island yesterday, was shocked with what he saw. The principal chief conservator of forests, V.K. Nautiyal, who accompanied the chief secretary, said conservation measures need to be taken immediately to protect the 25square km river island. He said the state government has drafted rules to check charcoal combustion in the area but that is yet to be discussed by the cabinet. A blame game followed. Nautiyal said the district council in not taking any necessary steps to check deforestation. The West Khasi Hills district administration claimed to have done enough. It has built an approach road to the island and organised a tourism festival last year to promote the island. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080918/jsp/northeast/story_9848316.jsp 5) Taking refuge in the prevailing situation in Kashmir, timber smugglers are having a field day in the Sedhaw forests of Shopian as they chop off green trees at will and then ferry the huge logs for sale, unhindered. The once thick forests of Sedhaw are located some 10 kms from the headquarter of this newly carved district and smugglers could be trapped if there is a will, believe the residents of the nearby villages. They apparently refer to the forest department and its forest protection force (FPF), whose officials have been accused of letting the smugglers off. The most affected compartments are VI and VB of Chotipora Sedhaw forest where smugglers cut and burn the tree braches making it look aged. The smugglers, the residents said, cut 20 to 25 trees daily. " The timber is smuggled on horses. Forty to 50 horses carrying timber move out of the forests daily, " said a senior citizen of the area. The residents of Shopian accuse the forest department of failing to check smuggling. " We many a times approached officials of the forest department and asked them to control the wanton loot of forests, but they never paid any heed to our pleas, " said Muhammad Sidiq, a resident. " We urged the officials that they should fence the forests and keep a constant vigil, but nobody listened to us. " Many residents accused the police and officials of the Forest Protection Force of working in connivance with the timber smugglers. " The forests are looted in association with the FPF officials and police, " they said. " The FPF officials help the smugglers in safe passage of timber near the forest check-posts. " The residents said the loot has increased during the past two months as the smugglers took advantage of protests and curfew in the Valley. " Timber is loaded in trucks near Sedhaw. The activity has increased in the past two months, " said Abrar Ahmad, a youth residing near Sedhaw. The divisional forest officer Shopian, Ghulam Ahmad Hajam, said the department was looking into the issue. " The smugglers may have taken advantage of the abnormal situation in the Valley, but we are trying our level best to curb the illegal practice, " he assured Greater Kashmir. http://www.greaterkashmir.net/full_story.asp?Date=23_9_2008 & ItemID=43 & cat=1 6) BANGALORE: Growing pressure on land in the periphery of Bangalore is not only consuming agriculture fields, but is also threatening to encroach upon the last few patches of forests land, especially under social forestry in high growth areas of Devanahalli and Hoskote taluks, and confusion over the ownership of land is further causing trouble. Bangalore Rural district has a forest cover of around 45,000 acres spread across Nelamangala, Hoskote, Doddaballapur and Devanahalli taluks that are mostly raised under social forestry. These patches of forests are under eucalyptus, acacia, neem and other local species that also harbour small wildlife. Original forests in the nature of shrub forests are found in Doddaballapur and areas adjoining Magadi taluk in Ramanagara district. Under pressure " Forests in Bangalore Rural are under tremendous pressure, as land value has increased phenomenally in recent years. We are trying to identify encroachments and removing them, and in most cases it would be the owner of a neighbouring plot who would have encroached upon the forest land, " Bangalore Rural Deputy Conservator of Forests Krishna Udupudi told The Hindu. He said that protection of land from public has been the main concern, as everyone around is trying to encroach, and recently encroachments of forest plantations at Koramangala in Devanahalli taluk were cleared. " Normally, 15 to 20 acres of land are encroached upon by individuals. We are trying to remove smaller encroachments, and others that could create law and order problems would be dealt later, " he added. Officials say that the forests are on the revenue land given to the department a couple of decades ago for development of social forestry, which were subsequently notified as forest land. According to officials, Nelamangala has around 10,000 acres of forest land while Doddaballapur has around 15,000 acres. Hoskote and Devanahalli have 12,000 acres and 8,000 acres of land respectively. Confusion over the clear demarcation of land is said to be one of the prime reasons leading to encroachments. Mr. Udupudi said: " In several areas, the part of notified forest land, gomala and land allotted to land less under land grant scheme come in the same survey number making problems more complex. " If the forest land has been encroached upon a couple of decades back, it is very difficult to remove such encroachments, he added. http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2008/09/bangalores-hunger-for-land-threatens.h\ tml 7) Pune - The forest department has set up mobile checkposts in the district after the chinkara poaching case involving state minister Dharmaraobaba Atram. Deputy conservator of forests (Pune) Ashok Khadse said two mobile teams are maintaining strict vigil on the forests. These have been started with the help of villagers, who will keep an eye open for poachers seeking to hunt endangered species in Indapur, Mulshi, Daund and Pune talukas. Atram was charged with killing a chinkara, an endangered species, at Chaudharwadi in Pune district on June 14. The minister absconded for a few days, was arrested later and then granted bail. Forest officers said the case could be cracked because of the vigilance of local villagers. " It is because of the villagers and forest officers that the chinkara poaching case came to light. Now with the mobile checkposts in place, it will help step up security, " Khadse said. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Villagers-on-vigil-at-mobile-checkposts-in-for\ ests/364140 8) Environmentalists said it would damage ecosystem of the " green campus " which is home to about 150 species of birds and temporary abode to thousands of migratory birds. The university staffs have primarily marked 480 trees -- mostly teak, rain tree, mango and jackfruit to chop down, upsetting students of the university who formed a human chain in front of the vice chancellor's office yesterday demanding a stop to the move. The university authorities, however, said a total of around 200 trees would be cut down. " We're not going to fell so many trees. In fact, we are yet to identify which trees to fell. Staff of our Estate Office marked those for inspection by an expert body, " JU Treasurer Prof Syed Abdul Hye claimed who heads a committee formed by the university Syndicate to deal with the sale of the trees. The move was initiated a few months ago after five trees had been stolen in January. " And since the aging trees cause health problems, the Syndicate decided to get rid of those and tasked me to head a committee to identify the dying trees and those which may be stolen, " the JU treasurer said. A sub-committee formed later to mark the trees asked the university Estate Office to primarily identify the trees. " But without my knowledge, the staffs marked them " , he added. The Estate Office said the trees are " dying " and " close to important structures of the university " but, during a visit, this correspondent found trees that include scores of small and mediocre in size which did not seem to be causing problems to any of the structures nor they did appear to be moribund at all. " The beauty of the campus would go if they fell the trees, " said Samiul, one of the organisers of yesterday's human chain. Rupon, a zoology honours student, said the tree felling would displace many birds from the campus as well as spoil the abode of migratory birds that come here every winter from Siberian region. Expressing concern over the move, Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Paribesh Bachao Andolon who participated in the human chain, told The Daily Star on the campus, " The old trees are rather very important for bio-diversity as many kinds of birds live on them. There is no other place where such large number of species of birds can be found. " Eminent bird expert Inam-ul Haq who also joined the human chain said felling the trees would damage the ecosystem adding, " These trees are not very old at all. I don't understand how these trees can do any harm? " " There are many trees on Rangpur Carmichael College campus which are more than hundred years old. If those trees do not do any harm, how can these trees which are not more than 30-35 years, can be harmful? " Sufi Mustafizur Rahman, a professor of archaeology at the varsity, exclaimed. http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=55347 9) In India everybody loves a coconut tree. It gives cool coconut drink, coconut kernels, oil, toddy (alcoholic), fibres for rope, fronds for firewood, etc. Safety. Who cares. Coconut falls are natural things and should be expected if you were to stand under a tree. In any case, nobody cares about safety in India. They expect you to look out for yourself. People from Western countries who have not been to India would probably need some trauma counselling while driving or travelling atleast for initial periods. Coconut climbing is a difficult job. Some engineering organisations have tried to develop a coconut tree climber without much luck. In Indonesia monkeys are trained to pluck coconut without them consuming them. In Tamil Nadu, there are separate tribes to climb coconut. The coconut climber will not touch the coconut after they have been dislodged from the trees. Strictly business! Mythily is enjoying her job as the Principal of a Women's Engineering college near Erode. I am housekeeping and enjoying. http://darwinindia.blogspot.com/2008/09/coconut-tree-climbing.html 10) Mysore: The predators have made the thick vegetation surrounding the city their home for survival and breeding. Whenever leopards have strayed into city areas, be it in a house at Gokulam or Bhoodevi farm on the busy Mysore-Madikeri Road, they were caught and left into the forests. According to forest officials, not only Chamundi Hills which has thick greenery, but also some isolated places on the outskirts of Mysore city are being frequented by leopards. Abandoned quarters near BEML, the deserted Mahindra factory, sewage farm and bushes near CFTRI premises and the thick foliage near Vijayanagar water tank - all have become sheltering places for the wild cats which stray into city from nearby forests. The Arabbi Thittu forest and the thick green cover adjoining it, from Yelwala to Hampapura villages and Madahalli reserve forest, are breeding grounds for wild animals . Though forest officials are not sure of the exact number of leopards in Chamundi Hills and other areas in and around the city, it's not less than 50, say wildlife activists. ''There are more than 10 leopards in the bushy areas of BEML and Mahindra factory areas,'' an activist maintained. ''The forest department should have carried out a survey and shifted these leopards to forests and wildlife sanctuaries,'' another activist suggested . Mohammed Jaffer, RFO Mandya, said leopards usually are not as ferocious as tigers and are shy in nature. '' Unlike tigers, leopards attack humans only when provoked. Leopards usually stray into human habitat at night in search of dogs and other domestic animals, and return back to forests before sunrise,'' he said. According to wildlife activists, leopards are forced to stray into city areas. '' Streetlights along the 5-km stretch from the Chamundi foothills to the temple will force wild animals to come out of their habitat. The glaring lights not only hinder their movement during night, but also expose them to the outside world,'' Jaffer said. '' It's like having streetlights on the road passing through Nagarahole or Bandipur National Park,'' he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Predators_find_shelter_in_Mysore_/a\ rticleshow/3492048.cms 11) The tiger attack and the village's revenge on the animal was not unexpected. The Sunderbans' maze of swamp, islands and mangrove forests lying between India and Bangladesh is one of the very few places left in the world where man is not top of the food chain. It is possibly the most dangerous place on earth. Whereas tiger populations are plunging around the world to the point where there may be only about 6,000 left, in the Sunderbans it is believed that numbers are at least stable. At least 500 are known to live there and this almost inaccessible watery wilderness is now the greatest stronghold of tigers left in the world. But in the past few years man and tiger have been confronting each other more and more in the Sunderbans, and for once, it seems that tigers are getting the upper hand. " More people are being killed in the forest and more tigers are coming out of the forest into human communities than ever, " says Mamun Rashid, author of a study of 180 human-tiger confrontations in Bangladesh. The Jalepara tiger was the first trapped and killed by a Bangladeshi community in more than four years, but it followed a pattern, says Rashid. " If a tiger is found in a village the word spreads quickly. Often the tiger is kept cornered somewhere for a long time while people from the village and places nearby come to see the spectacle. Eventually the people try to kill it by stabbing it with spears, knives, axes and or by throwing rocks. Cornered and injured, the tiger often lashes out at someone. " Officially, there are about 40 human deaths a year from tigers in the Bangladeshi Sunderbans but this is a major underestimation, he says. " There is a definite increase in people being killed. On the Bangladeshi side of the Sunderbans, at least 70 people are being killed a year now. " It is the same story in the smaller, Indian portion of the Sunderbans where there is a national park and an established tiger protection zone. " In Indian Sunderbans last year there were officially 16 deaths by tigers but the actual number of deaths is certainly much more, " says Pradip Shukla, director of the Sunderbans biosphere reserve. In the past few months there have been seven deaths, he says. " Many killings go unrecorded; often villagers don't report attacks in restricted forest areas for fear of being fined or having their fishing permits cancelled. " While tigers may be killing more, humans are largely responsible for their own deaths, according to Rashid. Up to 5,000 people now to go into the forest regularly for food, he says. " What i s happening is that human poverty is increasing greatly in the Sunderbans. This is because fish catches are declining, the rivers are silting up and, because of climate change, there is an increased frequency and intensity of cyclones. " http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/25/conservation.climatechange South East Asia: 12) The review, published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, singles out deforestation associated with plantation development as by far the biggest ecological impact, but finds that the links between the two are often much more complex than portrayed in the popular press. Co-author Matt Struebig, from Queen Mary, University of London, explains: " Most land-cover statistics do not allow us to distinguish where oil palm has actually driven forest clearance. Oil palm certainly has directly replaced tropical forest in some areas, but oil palm companies also often have close links with timber or paper pulp companies, giving additional motives for deforestation. " Within countries, oil palm is usually grown in a few productive areas, but it looks set to spread further. Demand is increasing rapidly and 'its potential as a future agent of deforestation is enormous', the study says. Most of the suitable land left is within the last remaining large areas of tropical rainforest in Central Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Where oil palm has replaced tropical forest the impact on wildlife depends on what species survive in the new oil palm habitat. The study confirmed that oil palm is a poor substitute habitat for the majority of tropical forest species, particularly forest specialists and those of conservation concern. Emily Fitzherbert continues: " By compiling scientific studies of birds, bats, ants and other species, we were able to show that on average, fewer than one-sixth of the species recorded in primary forest were found in oil palm. Degraded forest, and even alternative crops such as rubber and cocoa, supported higher numbers of species than oil palm plantations. " Even this estimate is likely to be optimistic, because forest habitats are more difficult to survey and some species inhabit plantations briefly before going extinct. There is little potential to help wildlife within plantations, so ensuring that new plantations do not replace forest and protecting what is left of native forest in and around plantations are the only real options for protecting the majority of species, the researchers say. International policies demanding evidence of environmental responsibility, in particular that land of high conservation value is not converted to oil palm, can help. http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0915-palm_oil.html Singapore: 13) The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is inviting tenderers to bid for a project to design, develop and maintain a government-wide intelligent map system. SLA, as Singapore's spatial information authority, is embarking on an initiative to give the public and private sector a one-stop access to a wealth ofgovernment geospatial content from authoritative sources. This will be a launch pad for government agencies to build their ownmap services using an Application Programming Interface (API) through which a common and consistent look-and-feel map interface can be created. It will also be the gateway for the private sector to tap on rich government content and mash it up with their own collection of spatial information tocreate services and to support enterprises' business needs. Individuals can even use the maps for personal use, eg on their blogs. The intelligent map service will power up mobility and decision-makingvia desktop and mobile devices. SLA is inviting industry partners to participatein this tender and propose innovative solutions. http://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/SLA_Invites_Tenderers_To_Bid_For_An_Intelligent_\ Map_System_999.html Laos: 14) Laos, one of the poorest countries in south-east Asia, with few resources beyond its mighty rivers and unspoilt natural beauty, is under threat from a plethora of dam projects and foreign companies hellbent on harnessing the surging torrents. Environmental specialists and NGOs report that rivers are being ruined, fish stocks rapidly depleted, and thousands of villagers uprooted from their homes. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have strongly pushed the Laotian government, with its meagre human resources, to open up their rivers to hydroelectric power (HEP) as the key to development. Among the western and Chinese companies plundering the natural resources of Laotian waterways are Norwegian ones. Norway, which usually prides itself on respect for the environment and human rights, is not among the usual suspects of countries that ride roughshod over local communities and their livelihoods. You don't expect Norway, with its record of stringent environmental standards at home, to be accused of flouting rules for environmental impact assessments (EIAs), ignoring dangers and ruining important rivers by cutting corners in dam construction. But that is exactly what it is doing through with its participation in the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) according to respected British scientist Dr Murray Watson, hired as an environmental specialist to implement the EIA under the control of a Norwegian consulting company Norplan. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/24/energy.norway Vietnam: 15) BAC CAN — Kim Hy Nature Reserve is threatened due to illegal logging by local residents in the reserve's buffer and core zones, said Ha Xuan Minh, a forest ranger. Kim Hy Nature Reserve, covering over 15,000ha at an altitude of 200-1,000m, is located in the districts of Bach Thong and Na Ri in the northern mountainous province of Bac Can. While there are 50 sawmills and five timber-yards operating in the area, only the lumber yard in Lung Pang Hamlet, located in the core zone of the reserve, is licensed. The reserve is home to many rare animals, such as the vooc ma trang (white-cheeked crested gibbon) as well as a variety of rare plants and trees. A frightening and all-too-familiar scene occurred in two communes, Con Minh and An Tinh, in Na Ri District in August. About 15 large rare trees and a number of smaller trees were illegally chopped down in a 500sq.m area, according to Nam, another forest ranger. " These exhibits were seized by the forest rangers recently, " Minh said pointing to a huge pile of rough timber at the Kim Hy Nature Reserve's protection station. Each timber was nearly 0.5m in diameter. In the past, loggers felled trees manually, which didn't seriously damage the reserve, but now they log by sawmill, according to Minh. The forest rangers have found 35 violations so far in 2008, according to the reserve management board's statistics. A piece of rough timber, which is about 20cm by 60cm in diameter, will be sold at VND150,000 on the spot, VND180,000 at the forest gate and VND220,000 outside the forest. Due to these high profits, many local residents co-ordinate with illegal timbermen to destroy the forest, said Minh. " Illegal timbermen are mainly ethnic people living in buffer and core zones of the nature reserve. Although we are aware of the situation, managing transportation in and out the forest and controlling people is very difficult, " Minh said. When local residents in the woods are questioned by the forest rangers they often claim to be looking for their lost livestock, but sometimes forest rangers return to the area only to discover a large tree has been cut down. The reserve's protection station has a staff of 11, who work at five locations spread across the reserve. Each staff member is responsible for over 1,000ha of forest, according to the head of one station, Nong Xuan Lanh. " It contrasts with high population density in the region and makes our mission difficult, " Lanh said. About 4,900ha of forest in Con Minh Commune belong to the reserve, including three hamlets in the core zone and three others in the buffer zone. Thus, forest management is very difficult here, said Trieu Thi Len, chairwoman of People's Committee of the commune. " We set up a working team led by the head policeman. The team usually patrols the forest, but they haven't caught any cases, " said Len. However it is not only small-time thieves who are responsible for deforestation in Con Minh Commune. http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01ENV240908 16) Nhan Dan Online – The Quang Binh province police has started a legal proceeding against a serious deforestation case in Phu Minh hamlet, Thuong Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district. The large scale deforestation case was discovered on July 15, 2008. On the site there were about 10 tents and necessities enough for the forest destroyers to carry out their deforestation for a long time. The police seized over 92 cubic metres of wood at the concentration grounds, while there were still many cut-down precious trees scattering there. This is the most serious deforestation case in Quang Binh province for the past few years. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2008/09/804888/ 17) In the 1940s, 60 per cent of Vietnam was forested. But conflict (and the infamous Agent Orange), overexploitation, and slash-and-burn cultivation have all taken their toll, reducing forest coverage to just 23 per cent. The loss of forests came at a high cost for the environment and especially for villagers dependent on forest products for income. It also led to a national shortage of wood for industry. The Vietnamese Government, however, has reacted to these problems with a series of programs to protect natural forests and establish tree plantations for watershed protection and for industrial wood production. The current target is a massive five million hectares of conservation and production plantations on denuded lands by 2010. The new industrial plantations will supply sawn timber, mine poles, fuel wood, wood for the pulp and paper industries, and contribute to environmental conservation and the rehabilitation of eroded land. Already, a vibrant forestry industry is generating billions of dollars in exports, and giving rural communities new opportunities to generate income and stay on the land. Fast-growing tree plantations now provide industrial wood and greatly reduce the harvesting pressure on natural forests. It's been a remarkable achievement by the Vietnamese people. Successfully establishing large areas of fast-growing plantations in a poor country recovering from war provided many challenges to overcome. So, Australian forestry scientists were asked to help. Several eucalypt and acacia species and two decades of scientific collaboration have been contributing to the re-greening. Through projects supported by AusAID and ACIAR, Australian researchers rose to the challenge. 'Twenty years ago I made my first visit to Vietnam,' says Stephen Midgley, a former CSIRO forestry scientist. 'I was impressed with the commitment and vision of the Vietnamese foresters. But they'd had little contact with their international peers for decades, and there was a national shortage of wood.' There was also a problem with the quality of the (Australian) tree species being grown. 'Australian trees have been used in Vietnam for a century or more,' says Chris Harwood, of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems. 'In addition to their use in formal plantations, eucalypts and other Australian species are planted widely on farms, around homesteads, and along canals and roadsides,' he says. 'Australian species are favoured for their adaptability and rapid growth, even on seasonally dry, infertile and degraded sites,' says Harwood. 'But, in many locations unsuitable species and provenances (local varieties) were being used. In addition, over successive generations, local seed sources had become inbred – reducing the growth of plantations raised from them. This is a particular problem for smallholding growers who do not have access to tree breeding programs and tend to use the cheapest locally available seed sources. http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20082209-18194.html 18) Residents and rangers from central Phu Yen and Quang Ngai provinces have reported the illegal destruction of large tracts of forest by clearing and logging. Three forests in Phu Yen Province – Hon Bo Forest in Dong Xuan District, Dong Xuan District's Cay Du Forest and Song Hinh District's Song Hinh Protective Forest – have been targeted, while 27 hectares of protective forest in Mo Duc and Duc Pho districts in Quang Ngai Province were totally destroyed. Hundreds of hectares of protective forest in Phu Yen Province have been cleared by enterprises that were only authorized to clear undergrowth in these forests to plant more trees. A recent report by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Phu Yen Province accused Binh Nam and Truong Thanh Xanh enterprises of some of the destruction. The department said Binh Nam Enterprise had illegally cut down trees with diameters up to 50 centimeters at Hon Bo Forest in Dong Xuan District. A local farmer said the Hon Bo Forest from So Spring to Muong Village had been totally devastated. The report accused Binh Nam Enterprise and Truong Thanh Xanh Enterprise of illegal logging at Dong Xuan District's Cay Du Forest and Song Hinh District's Song Hinh Protective Forest respectively. " A recent inspection found eight cubic meters of illegal logs belonging to Truong Thanh Xanh Enterprise, " head of park rangers of Song Hinh District, Tran Duy Tan said. Tan said they had reported the case to the People's Committee of Song Hinh District. In nearby Quang Ngai Province, a recent inspection by provincial park rangers found more than 27 hectares of protective forest in Mo Duc and Duc Pho districts were burnt to ashes by local residents. http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3 & newsid=42240 Thailand: 19) The resort island province of Phuket has a total forest cover of 137,270 rai, of which 107,578 rai make up its 16 national forest reserves. Deforestation mostly occurs in the 5,000-rai Bang Khanun park, where about 2,800 rai have been encroached upon. About 900 rai of mangroves in the province have also been damaged. Poppol Sirilaksanapong, an official of the Phuket natural resources and environment office, says Phuket is ''a golden location'' for many small-scale encroachers, most of whom are workers who have migrated from other provinces. Phuket governor Niran Kalayanamitr recently signed a memorandum of understanding with local administration bodies to preserve and protect natural resources and to suppress encroachment. Four task force units have been set up to look after the island's national forests, to control pollution and rehabilitate the degraded natural environment. Plans are afoot to plant trees in areas that have been seized back from encroachers. Mr Niran said the land encroachment problem has gradually built up over the last 10 years and nobody has made any serious attempt to solve it. He admitted legal measures alone could not end the encroachment problem altogether. The rules need to be relaxed sometimes to ease the problem. Encroachers should be permitted to stay on as tenants by paying rent for the use of land, he said. He said property and real estate development in the province has been expanding at a rapid rate. Land prices have shot up sharply, with housing estates, resort and condominium projects springing up all over the island. Mr Niran said encroachment problems are also worsening on Naga island off the coast of Thalang district because land on the island can fetch much higher prices than land on mainland Phuket. A total of 33 Naga island encroachment cases have been filed in court since October last year. Of them, 10 are mangrove encroachment cases, 21 concerned forest encroachment and two involved deforestation. So far, 27 offenders have been arrested. Kueakiat Jitkuea, chief of the tambon Koh Kaew administration organisation, said areas in tambon Koh Kaew in Muang district have been encroached upon since 2005. Illegal land ownerships, without title deeds, have changed hands more than 10 times in some cases, with prices rising four to fivefold since 2005. http://www.bangkokpost.com/200908_News/20Sep2008_news23.php South Korea: 20) South Korea has lost 42,513 hectares of forest land in the last five years, a report by the Korea Forest Service said Tuesday. The statistics submitted to the National Assembly that were released ahead of a parliamentary audit as the Lee Myung-bak administration is moving to ease the country's green belt restrictions around major metropolitan areas. The move is aimed at creating more land that can be developed for commercial use to bolster the construction sector and breathe new life into the sluggish economy, whose outlook has been downgraded from growth in the 5 per cent range in 2007 to the upper 4 per cent range this year. Of the total, the largest proportion was 7,204 ha converted into housing land from 2004 to 2007, with 5,911 ha being used to make room for factories and other commercial purposes. Another 5,372 ha were made into roads, and 5,159 ha were used to make golf courses. Gyeonggi Province, which borders the capital city of Seoul, converted 10,330 ha of forests for other uses, followed by North Gyeongsang and South Chungcheong provinces. Rep. Choung Hae-gul, who received the report, said the number of cases of illegal destruction of forest land rose from 2,070 in 2004 to 2,492 in 2007. http://asia.news./080924/4/3phee.html Philippines: 21) Non-government organizations (NGOs) who are active in anti-illegal logging and mining campaign in Caraga Region today issued warning that fast-paced deforestation in Caraga Region's nearly 500,000 hectares of forestlands will make the region ten to fifteen years from now a timber-less corridor, timber no more region of the country. Due to its rich forest resources, Caraga Region after its creation as an administrative region in 1995 was envisioned to be the " timber corridor " of the country. " But massive exploitation of Caraga's rich forest and mineral resources due to unabated illegal logging and mining including kaingin due to increasing number of farmers engaged in upland farming, depletion of Caraga's forest is inevitable " , Manuel Romero, regional coordinator for Balikatan People's Alliance, a SEC-registered and DENR-accredited NGO. Romero noted that the average annual collection of forest charges over the years since 1995 ranges from P130-M to P150-M. Former DENR Regional Executive Director Benjamen Tumaliuan of Caraga Region confirmed that the average collection of forest charges in his nearly seven years of service in the region was P130-M to P150-M Tumaliuan who made success in his revenue measure reforms by increasing revenue collection initiatives on forest charges was ordered relieved and transferred by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza allegedly upon recommendations of various politicians and Bishop Juan De Dios Pueblos, D.D. of the Diocese of Butuan due to alleged malfeasance. Tumaliuan repeatedly denied any wrong doing claiming " illegal logging and mining activities " are deeply rooted with faulty culture system rooted on mental and physical dishonesty. Tumaliuan whoever did not accused neither blamed anybody for failed drive on anti-illegalities. Romero however alleged that there was a declined of forest charges collection for the first to third semesters of this year as compared to previous years. A forest charges of P1,500.00 is being collected by the DENR for every cubic meter of lawaan logs or any naturally grown wood species or trees cut in public forest lands either under CBFMA or Community-based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA), IFMA or other agreements entered by group of tree farmers. On planted wood species such as falcata, gmelina or bagras and others trees planted in titled land, the government through the DENR is collecting a minimum of P75.00 to P200.00 per cubic meter before issuance of transport permits. http://mindanao.com/blog/?p=5170 22) Rattan is a very important non-timber forest product, owing to its versatility. It is an export winner. Raising rattan, despite the lengthy time for plantation development, is necessary because natural stands have been significantly reduced. Rattan plantation development is one of the priority technologies being promoted by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The process combines environmental protection and rehabilitation, with the generation of employment opportunities for upland dwellers. Rattan plantations can ensure continuous supply of raw materials. http://blog.agriculture.ph/rattan-seedling-production-and-plantation-establishme\ nt.html Solomon Islands: 23) A new forest conservation project has been established in Solomon Islands to help combat the unsustainable rate of logging. The World Wide Fund or WWF says a European Union grant will allow it to set up a network of protected forest areas and give alternatives to large scale commercial logging. A Solomon Islands spokesperson for the NGO, Alan Smith, says tremendous pressure has been exerted on the forest ecosystems and drastic deforestation is taking its toll. " There's been many reports by organisations such as AUSaid that point out that by 2012 commercial logging operations are probably going to cease in the Solomon Islands because the commercial areas will be all logged out. " Alan Smith says the Solomons has the largest number of endemic bird species by land area, but with the unsustainable rate of logging, there will be great losses of habitat. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read & id=42080 Malaysia: 24) SAM is shocked to learn recently that between 1999 and 2002, three huge plantation projects, which are largely located within the Bakun catchment, have been approved by the Sarawak state government. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for the projects were approved between 2000 and 2003. In an effort to counter mounting criticisms against the Bakun Hydroelectric Project, from 1995 to 2001, several of our Federal ministers have promised that the 1.5 million ha Bakun Catchment Area, a mostly forested region, will soon be gazetted in order to protect the dam. As a matter of fact, our then Deputy Prime Minister himself was widely quoted by local newspapers on March 13, 1996 stating that " we should realise that we will gazette a catchment area covering 1.5 million hectares which may not have been created if the Bakun project is not implemented. " However today, three projects have been approved in the catchment – the Shin Yang Forest Plantation located in the Murum river basin (155,930 ha), the Bahau-Linau Forest Plantation (108,235 ha) and the Merirai-Balui Forest Plantation (55,860 ha). Both Bahau-Linau and Merirai-Balui, owned by a subsidiary of Rimbunan Hijau, will be establishing pulp and wood tree monocultures while Shin Yang, owned by Shin Yang Forestry, is also undertaking oil palm cultivation. Actual cultivation areas of such plantations will typically cover between 50 and 60 percent of the total concession areas. The Bakun reservoir catchment comprises some 20 sub-catchments. The main river draining the catchment is the Balui, which in turn is fed by the Murum, Bahau and Linau Rivers. According to the Bakun EIA reports themselves, the annual sediment load in the catchment had jumped from 11 to 29 million tonnes between 1983 and 1993 alone, which can largely be attributed to the advent of timber harvesting activities in the area. http://malaysiannewsnetwork.com/?p=3839 25) By nature it is waterlogged. So, when humans try to alter its traits, the system bites back. As though furious with the violation, the land combusts, sending out sporadic fires which foul the air with smoke. And these spats have been occurring for the past decade with ad hoc solutions that only stop the symptoms but do not address the root causes. This is the seemingly never-ending plight of the highly fragmented peat swamp forests in Selangor, where rapid development comes with the pressure to venture into areas that are highly sensitive to human disturbance. Not that there is lack of recognition of the socio-ecological value of this semi-submerged ecosystem. Global Environment Centre director Faizal Parish and Selangor state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong inspecting the degraded peatland in Kampong Johan Setia near Klang that was encroached upon and improperly used, causing periodic peat fires. More than a decade ago, the importance of peat swamp was already recognised. A four-year assessment project (1996-2000) produced the Integrated Manage¬ment Plan for the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF) 2001-2010, arguably the largest peat forest in the state at 72,444ha. This large tract of forest in the north-western part of Selangor was not gazetted until 1990 following the recommendation of the World Bank-funded North-west Selangor Integrated Agricultural Development Project completed in 1983. It called for the protection of the forest which is a vital water source for the Tanjung Karang granary. Prior to that, the Raja Musa and Sg Karang Forest Reserves forming the NSPSF were extensively logged, leaving only 1% of the area covered with high density forest. Despite its depleted condition, the four-year assessment found it to contain sufficient composition of seedlings, saplings and small trees aiding its recovery. Over the years, the remaining stands of peatland on the west coast has been shrinking: the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve has shrunk from its original 10,500ha to its present 1,265ha; the Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve has diminished from 11,663ha to 2,053ha. Although degraded, the Raja Musa (23,410ha) and Sg Karang Forest Reserves (49,034ha) are the largest chunks of peat swamp that stand a good chance of rehabilitation and preservation for posterity. In a show of commitment to protect the sensitive peat swamps, Selangor environment executive councillor Elizabeth Wong threw her support behind the Depart¬ment of Environment to drag PPNS to court € " a rare action that aims to send a strong signal to would-be offenders. http://naturealert.blogspot.com/2008/09/saving-peat-forests.html 26) The Federal Court has ordered the Pahang state government today to pay a whopping RM60 million to a company for breach of contract over a controversial logging concession in the state. According to Bernama, the decision came after a three-member bench dismissed the state government and its forestry department director's bid to seek to reverse a lower court ruling. The panel, headed by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum and comprising justices Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman and Abdul Aziz Mohamed, unanimously dismissed their application for leave to appeal. The two applicants were seeking permission to appeal the Kuantan High Court decision on May 25, which ordered them to pay RM37,127,471.60, with eight percent interest dating from April 5, 2000, to logging firm Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd (SGM) for breach of contract. Rejecting the application for leave today, Malanjum in his judgment said the question of law submitted by the Pahang government was not a " noble question " and had been raised previously. The rare decision came as a second blow to the ruling Barisan Nasional government in recent court battles. Last month, BN's biggest component party, Umno, was also ordered by court to pay RM218 million to a poll merchandise firm after failing to pay the firm over the supply of election campaign materials for the 2004 general election. The decision by the country's highest court today involved a logging scam highlighted by Malaysiakini in a series of reports on a 10,000-acre plot of land - about 40sq km in size - near Pekan which was awarded to Umno Pahang in 1998. The land was given to the party by the state government helmed by then Pahang menteri besar and Umno state chief Khalid Yaacob ostensibly for oil palm plantation. To make the deal aboveboard, the party was required to pay a RM4.8 million land premium in order for them to start logging activities but Pahang Umno did not make the payment. Despite that the land being still technically owned by the state government, the state Umno had gone ahead to clear the plot. In 2000, Pahang Umno conferred the company SGM with the exclusive right to cut, extract and sell the logs in the area. In return, the company paid the party a mere RM50,000 for the deal, which is believed to be worth millions. http://jueheng.multiply.com/journal/item/138/Pahang_govt_ordered_to_pay_RM60_mil\ _to_logging_firm Indonesia: 27) Makassar: Some regents in South Sulawesi province voiced their concern over the many mining potential located inside protected forest areas, at a mining prospects exposé at the South Sulawesi governor office yesterday. Gowa regent, Ichsan Yasin Limpo said that his area has much mining potential, such as marble, granite and gold. Around 6.000 hectares of land potentially containing gold is situated inside protected forest areas. At the end of the year, he said, his officials plant to go to China to sign an MoU to start a mining operation in Gowa. However, he claims to have issued operating license to only three companies. A similar complaint was expressed by Pangkep regent Safrudin Nur, who said, " We are getting a lot of proposals from investors but the problem is that much of the mining potential is inside protected forest areas. " Gold mine explorations in Pangkep are currently operated by the Sinar Mas Group, which have been allowed to operate under a one-year permit. Other mining operations involve steel and oil in Sapanjang block, 14 marble quarries at the border between West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces. South Sulawesi governor, Syahrul Yasin Limpo cautioned the regents to be careful when issuing mining permits, especially to companies operating inside protected forests. Although mining exploration permits are issued by the regents, " the provincial government must still oversee the process, " Syahrul said during the exposé which was attended by 11 regents, a Malaysian national mining consultant, Datuk Aziz Chemir, and an Australian geologist, Edward Brennan. The South Sulawesi provincial government is currently forming a team to discuss these issues. http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2008/09/24/brk,20080924-137183,uk.ht\ ml 28) A discussion about the conservation of the Sumatran rhinoceros wouldn't be complete without mentioning Arief Rubiyanto, who for the past 15 years has been working hard to save the species from extinction. Thanks to Arief and his Rhino Protection Unit (RPU), the threat against the Sumatran rhinoceros has been reduced. The past few years have even seen an increase in population numbers of the species in the Lampung area thanks to intensive patrols conducted by the RPU team. Arief, 38, is one of only a few experts in the country willing to work in the forest. Born in Bandung in 1970, he studied at the animal health department of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture. After graduating in 1993, Arief worked in rhinoceros conservation as a surveyor in the Sumatra Rhino Survey program at Kerinci Seblat National Park (BTNKS). He has been involved in the preservation of the threatened species ever since. He was a program volunteer at the anti-poaching unit of Friends of Rhino Foundation in Bengkulu from 1994 to 1995, patrol coordinator of the RPU at BTNKS from 1995 to 1997, field coordinator of the RPU in Way Kambas National Park from 1997 to 1998, field coordinator of the RPU in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park from 1998 to 1999, supervisor of the RPU Lampung from 1999 to 2003, and field manager for Save the Sumatran Rhinoceros Program at BTNKS from 2004 to 2005. Arief is now the coordinator of the intelligence and law enforcement unit of the RPU. " In the 1980s there were some 500 Sumatran rhinoceros at Kerinci Seblat National Park. But in 1994, it was estimated that there were only about 20 left, " Arief told The Jakarta Post recently. " And they were found in different habitats, not only in the protected forest areas. " Poaching and illegal logging in the 1990s threatened the Sumatran rhinoceros population. Their habitat had dwindled due to the deforestation and poaching. The hunters used steel wires to trap the rhinoceros. " Because of his dedication in saving the species, in 2007 he received the Disney Conservation Hero Award from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund in the United States, beating 12 other candidates from all over the world. http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20080916.W03 & irec=2 Fiji: 29) The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) is investigating claims being made against several logging companies who are harvesting sandalwood forests in the country. Several landowners are now claiming that some companies are now logging sandalwood forests where they have not been licensed to do so. Conservator of Forests Osea Tuinivanua said his department was aware of such practices but added that he did not have complete information on the matter. These logging companies are alleged to be cutting sandalwood in areas they are not licensed to do so and bring the logs into other areas where they hold licences. A foreign company trading from Suva and Labasa is alleged to have logged sandalwood out of the Western part of the Nausori Highlands and brought it to another area they are allowed to log. The logs were then taken to the Forestry Office in Nausori where a directive by the Western Forestry Office was given to not to release the logs. The logs were later released without permission. Assistant divisional forestry officer Kaminieli Namua told Fijilive that an investigation into the matter was under way but declined to comment further. Landowners or mataqali who grow sandalwood receive 20 per cent royalty earned from the sale of the logs to the logging companies. These logs are then sold at a higher price on the overseas market. The foreign company concerned is also alleged to have tricked landowners on the island of Lakeba in Lau after telling owners that they would receive $4 per unit of the endangered wood. Instead the company is alleged to have paid only $0.80 a unit to the landowners. Similar illegal practices have been recorded in sandalwood countries like India and Nepal. Sandalwood is currently endangered and consequently very expensive. Although all sandalwood trees in India and Nepal are government-owned and their harvest is strictly controlled, many trees are illegally cut down and smuggled out of the country. Sandalwood essential oil prices have risen to $1000-1500 per kg in the past five years. http://www.fijilive.com/news_new/index.php/news/show_news/8998 Papua New Guinea: 30) Tony delivers a final blow, then holds aloft a rather unimpressive looking chunk of wood. It has been splintered from an equally unimposing tree - certainly unremarkable when compared to the towering forest that surrounds us. However, its discovery was greeted with great excitement. But with the likes of gold, copper, oil and gas already discovered in Papua New Guinea (PNG), not to mention the vast timber resources, why is agarwood considered so important? " What makes it so valuable is its smell, " says WWF's sustainable resource use trainer Leo Sunari. " When these trees are injured or infected - maybe by certain insects, maybe by other means, we're not too sure yet - they produce this dark resin in response. " The resin's long-lasting fragrance has made agarwood (also referred to as eaglewood and aloeswood, and more locally as gaharu) popular for thousands of years throughout Asia and the Middle East, where it's used for cultural, religious and medicinal purposes, and as a perfume. Worldwide sources are now dwindling, so its discovery in PNG in 1997 spurred intense harvesting. " They were going crazy, " Leo recalls. " The trees were being chopped down and the roots dug up, because that's where they thought the infection was most likely to be. " To curb the rate of destruction, WWF has been working with local communities in PNG - who own about 97 per cent of the land - offering workshops to help them map their land, predict where the agarwood trees are, and develop ways of managing their resources sustainably. " As part of that work, we're teaching them how to extract the agarwood resin without killing the trees, " adds Leo. " And, we're making sure they know its real value, so they're not ripped off by traders. " http://garamut.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/deep-in-the-perfumed-forests-of-papua-ne\ w-guinea/ 31) A Greenpeace team spent two weeks documenting life and conditions in three Papua New Guinea (PNG) logging concessions. We visited remote villages in Gulf and Western Provinces where logging companies Rimbunan Hijau (RH) and Turama Forest Industries (TFI, a Rimbunan Hijau group company) are felling ancient rainforests and abusing their workers. Local people speak of a litany of abuses by these logging companies, including: 1) destroying sacred sites, 2) breaking promises of development, 3) withholding royalty payments, 4) logging too close to villages, 5) endangering the food supply. Sacred site bulldozed (left): Kibiri tribe elder, Kemaru Gary Bissue, looks over the sacred site known as Morere, once used for tribal initiation ceremonies until bulldozed for an airstrip in the rainforests of the Turama Extension logging concession, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. " The overwhelming feeling relayed… by landowners… is that both TFI and RH are stealing their resources and exploiting their people, while the government turns a blind eye, " says Greenpeace forest campaigner, Sam Moko. PNG nationals are paid a pittance by the logging companies for dangerous work, usually done with no safety equipment. And their money goes straight back to the company to pay for food and other costs. One payslip shows a worker paid K185.25 ($91.85) for 114 hours of work. After paying for food bought on credit from the company canteen, he took home K5 ($2.50). Trapped in a debt cycle with logging companies, their only option is to keep working. They work incredibly hard but don't even have enough money to pay to leave the area. http://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog/energy/?p=264 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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