The lumbering of trees in the Colombian Pacific rain forest by a Canadian company must be suspended announced the vice minister of environment on W Radio Thursday.
Environment Vice Minister Carlos Castaño said that the Canadian company Prima Colombia Hardwood and its Colombian subsidiary REM must temporarily stop the lumbering of trees in Bahia Solano on the Pacific coast of the department of Choco.
Furthermore the Environment Ministry will assume temporary control of the Codechoco, the Autonomous Regional Corporation for Sustainable Development in the department of Choco, in order to review and scrutinize the activities related to the granting of permission to the company to exploit the rain forest.
The resolution to suspend Codechoco from administrative duties relating to Prima and REM was issued May 18 after mangers from the Environment Ministry visited the region between May 4 and 6 reported Territorio Chocoano, a news site dedicated to the Choco region.
The managers found that the removal of vegetation in forested areas due to the development of heliports around the villages of Mecana and Huaca had altered the natural habitat of the terrestrial fauna, among other environmental problems.
The visit was prompted by complaints and a national campaign of protest organized by environmentalist Juan Ceballos.
