Released Date - February 05, 2010 SOL – LOGGING: SOL/STAR                                     PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 05 Feb 2010   Island pushes to ban logging   05 FEBRUARY 2010 HONIARA (SOLOMON STAR) ----- Conservationists on Kolombangara Island, Western Province are pushing for a ban of large scale commercial logging on the island.   Coordinator of Kolombangra Island Biodiversity Conservation Association (KIBCA), Furgeson Vagi said the intention follows revelation that despite many logging operations that have taken place on the island over the past decades, no tangible benefit had reached the people.   He said people on the island are still asking relatives for basic necessities such as kerosene and soaps, things they should have gone out of had they benefited from logging operations.   Mr Vagi says logging companies have breached the Forestry Act when they log trees from high altitudes. “People now realise that logging brings no real benefit to landowners and licence holders,” he said.   Mr Vagi said his association is encouraging people to turn to conservation because they can get benefit from their resources for home use and income.   “The government should now consider applying for the REDD funding from the industrialised countries to save the country’s remaining forests as loggable forests will run out in a few years time.   “People can get income from conserving their forests not only through logging which are being done through the expense of the environment,” he said.   Mr Vagi said that while pro loggers argue that the clearing of land give rise to more trees to grow, trees growing up from cleared forest are non exportable because they are of little value to timber and log buyers.   He said he will now rally support from communities and organisations in Kolombangara to put a total stop to logging on the island.   Meanwhile, one of the country’s pristine islands, Rennell  in the Rennell/Bellona province is under threat from logging companies but landowners are doing what they can to make sure the problems faced in other provinces are avoided.   Two groups of landowners are inviting logging companies to cut trees on their customary land but to date no operation had taken place although more than 10 units of logging equipment have landed at Lughughi, on the west coast of the island.   The landowner and licence holder for the area, Amos Teikangei had held talks with a foreign logging company to log his land but no logging activity had taken place so far.   “I’m not allowing logging to take place until the agreement signed between me and Sam Ling San is fulfilled. Under that agreement, the company must build roads, a wharf and provide vehicles to the landowners,” Mr Teikangei said.   He said the logging equipment landed at Lughughi last year and will remain there until such time the roads and what is in the agreement are completed.   Mr Teikangei said some provinces have had the experience with other logging companies operating in their areas who’ve not seen infrastructures built while the company left after cutting down all the trees they wanted. “I don’t want to see this happening here. So what I’m doing is to make sure what is stated and agreed to in the standard agreement is done before trees are harvested.    “The road, jetty and vehicles must be provided by the company before any tree is cut,” Mr Teikangei said. He said he invited the company to log his land and build the road to the sea port of Lughughi because it’s very far to get to the port where his tribe’s marine resources are available.   “If the road and a jetty are built, my people will be able to utilise the marine resources there such as fish, trochus and other marine products.    “Right now, my people can’t use these resources and are finding it difficult to raise income for their survival” Mr Teikagei said.     He said the company had requested him to a meeting in Honiara since last year but up until now had refused to abide saying that if they want to discuss the moving of logging machines to a new log pond at Lavangu, he is not interested.   He said the company had offered to give him money three times last year if he agrees to their suggestion to move the machines to Lavangu.   In the meantime, there’s another group of landowners from Lavangu who are in discussion with another logging company in Honiara for the past weeks to log their area but to date no conclusive resolution has been reached.   Rennell Island is the only island in the country which has pencil cedar as its common tree and logging companies are eyeing this species for export.   The island is also one that occasionally got battered by cyclones nearly every year.   It also holds one of the country’s landmark sites, the lake Tegano which has been listed as a World Heritage site.  ..PNS (ENDS)