Judge orders man to replant trees in Forested Area

Kingston, Jamaica, May 11, 2010: A man, who pleaded guilty to cutting down trees in Mount Horeb, in rural St. Andrew was ordered to replant some trees when he appeared in the Half Way Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, May 10, 2010. Wayne Nelson, the accused, who is from the Mount Horeb community, pleaded guilty to removing trees on a forest reserve without a permit. He appeared before Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser, who ordered that he replace the trees he had cut down before he is sentenced. In ordering the community service, the Resident Magistrate indicated that trees play an important role in the ecosystem and help to mitigate drought and other environmental conditions. In addition she noted that should the practice continue unabated Jamaica would have neither ‘wood’ nor ‘water’ to celebrate the meaning of its name. Mr. Nelson is to replant at least two trees under the supervision of the Forestry Department before the next mention date on Thursday, May 27. Mr. Nelson can be fined up to $200,000 and/or sentenced to two years imprisonment at hard labour for the offence. Allegations are that on April 15, 2010, the Forestry Department received information that Caribbean pine trees were being illegally logged on lands in Mount Horeb managed by the Department. Representatives from the Forestry Department and the Stony Hill Police, tried to find the location, however heavy rain prevented them from doing so. The following day, on April 16, 2010, representatives from the Forestry Department while patrolling lands it manages, noticed some pieces of lumber, believed to be Caribbean pine, stacked beside a house in the vicinity where the initial logging was reported to have occurred. The Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) Agro and Environmental Enforcement Unit and forestry officers went to the location where they discovered that two trees had been recently cut. It was also observed that 69 pieces of Caribbean pine were stacked beside two houses nearby. Further investigations found that 42 pieces had been cut down one to three days earlier and the remaining pieces were cut down about six months before. Additional investigations by the police found that Mr. Nelson was the one responsible for cutting down the trees, which he intended to use to build a house. He was subsequently arrested and charged under Section 31of the Forest Act, 1996. Contact: Public Relations and Corporate Communications Branch Forestry Department 173 Constant Spring Road Kingston 8, Jamaica Call: 924-2667/8; 578-7155 Facsimile: 924-2626 Email: fblack@forestry.gov.jm DISCLAIMER! The Forestry Department (Ministry of Agriculture, Goverment of Jamaica) will use its best endeavours to ensure that all news and information provided on this Web site (www.forestry.gov.jm) is accurate and current. However, The Forestry Department does not guarantee that all the information provided here is current and accurate and cannot be held responsible nor liable for any information provided here which proves to be inaccurate or outdated in any respect.