A man caught operating a powersaw without a licence was convicted and fined $10,000.00 or 10 days imprisonment in default of payment, in the Manchester Parish Court in Christiana on 10 June, 2022.

The accused, Herbert Livingston of an Ulster Spring address in Trelawny, pleaded guilty to unlawfully transporting and using a sawmill without a valid licence in breach of regulation 25 of the Forest Regulation, 2001. He has been given until the 8 July 2022 to pay the fine.

Miss Tanika Stewart, Senior Director, Forest Enforcement Services at the Forestry Department, says that Mr. Livingston must also obtain the required licence for the powersaw. “In addition to the fine of $10,000 or ten days imprisonment, Mr. Livingston has to get a sawmill licence. The fee to apply for the licence is $250 and the cost of the licence is $15,000 and it is valid for a calendar year,” Miss Stewart said. She is appealing to all person who have yet to obtain a sawmill licence to apply.

Under regulation 25(1)(a) of the Forest Regulations, 2001, a licence is required to drive, transport or use in any place, a sawmill of any type or make. The definition of sawmill encompasses portable powersaws. A licence is also required for the owner of a sawmill to authorize its use or operation, and for persons that trade, store or purchase locally produced lumber, including furniture stores. A Factories Registration Certificate is required where the activity falls within the definition of a factory under section 2 of the Factories Act.

The Forestry Department has acquired a fiat from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding offences under the Forest Act and Forest Regulations, 2001 and will be actively enforcing its legal mandate. Persons wishing to obtain information on the sawmill licensing process may contact the Forestry Department’s Legal and Forest Enforcement Services Division at (876) 618-3205 or visit the Agency’s website, www.forestry.gov.jm to learn more.