GUYANA yesterday became only the second country in the world to sell its forests for conservation purposes, with the granting of a 200,000-acre concession in the Upper Essequibo watershed to Conservation International (CI).

"Rather than trying to generate income from them by cutting them down, we want to demonstrate that one can generate income from forests by protecting them", visiting President of CI, based in Washington D.C., USA, Dr. Russell Mittermeier said at a signing ceremony at the Office of the President in Georgetown.

Instead of logging the concession area, CI will allow it to remain in its natural state.

President Bharrat Jagdeo signed the approval documents for the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to grant CI the concession in the form of a Timber Sales Agreement (TSA), meaning that CI is obligated to pay annual acreage fees and royalties.

"Whilst we are pursuing national interests in conservation, we're also playing an important role for the rest of the world in terms of safeguarding this planet and we're very happy to play this role", President Jagdeo said.
Peru is the other country that has sold forests for conservation purposes.

Commissioner of Forests, Mr. James Singh and Executive Director of the local CI office, Major General (retired) Joe Singh signed the TSA. Signing as witnesses for the Government were Minister with responsibility for the forestry sector, Mr. Satyadeow Sawh and Chairman of GFC, Mr. Winfried Fries, while local CI Company Secretary, Mr. Paul Clarke and Dr. Mittermeier signed as witnesses for the conservation body.

At the signing ceremony, Clarke, also CI's Operations Manager, handed over a cheque for US$37,552 to the GFC. This total is from US$19,552 in acreage fees and royalties of US$11,000 for this year, a payment of US$6,000 for a performance bond and US$1,000 as issuance fees.

Were the concession to have been granted for logging purposes, the same fees would have had to be paid, officials said.

Mittermeier said that "Guyana is really a very fortunate and privileged country" to have some 80-90 per cent of its natural resources intact.

In October 2000, the GFC granted CI an exploratory permit to study the potential for forest conservation of the 200,000 acres forest located along the Essequibo River, in southeastern Guyana.

CI has fulfilled the requirements for being granted the 30-year lease and with the conservation concession now granted, CI would establish a presence in the area to facilitate the implementation of its conservation programme in accord with the approved management plan.

The closest communities around the concession area are Apoteri, Rewa and Crashwater, made up of the Macushi and Wapishiana Amerindian tribes.

Representatives of the communities were at yesterday's signing ceremony.

Although not a requirement, CI, through a Voluntary Community Investment Fund will be plugging some US$10,000 annually into the communities for community development programmes.

President Jagdeo said that the granting of the forestry concession is in keeping with Guyana's national forest policy, one objective of which is the conservation of ecosystems, biodiversity and the environment.

He said that protection of forests and bio-diversity is not unique to Guyana, citing the Commonwealth funded Iwokrama rainforest conservation programme.

At yesterday's ceremony were Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues, Minister of Local Government, Mr. Harripersaud Nokta, Chairman of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Bal Persaud, Region Nine Chairman, Mr. Vincent Henry, CI and GFC officials, among others.