Thanks for starting this new thread, Lance. Following is a copy of post #1553 from the old thread, a copy of a letter from Ray Fernandez, which I found informative on the subject of "renewable harvesting":
In response to your questions, first let me say that I appreciate your interest and understand your concerns as they gather environmental impact prospectives with which I have personally gained considerable expertise after living and working in the Amazon Rain Forest for more than 24 years.
Our harvest is completely selective as we only go after 4 species of trees from the more than 700 existing on our properties. Last year we harvested a total of 4,600 trees from these properties on an area the size of some 9,000 acres at a rate of 1.23 trees per hectar which is less than 0.5 trees per acre. From the total acreage owned and controlled by our company which today stands at some 759,000, we only harvest timber in an area that totals approx. 131,000 acres, on a revolving sustainable management program whereby we will harvest 9-11,000 acres per year, felling only mature trees and leaving each parcel reforested at a ratio 0f 4-1 in Mahogany, 50-1 on Cedar and somewhere inbetween on Cumala and Andiroba. Where the law requires a minimum diametric class of 16" for felling , we only fell tress of 24" or better at chest height, tagging and mapping those that fall within the legal size and our minimum size and contolling their growth to maturity as an indicator to when they will be mature enough to be felled under our management programs. Accererated production of 5 fold , by these actual figures would not deplete or even really scathe the surface from our total timber reserves which we value at more than 3 Billion dollars.
Marketing tropical hardwood lumber products is today a sellers market as demand supercedes supply by a landslide.Our products enjoy an overwhelming demand. In todays market our total production is sold to only 4 customers, with more than 12 in line to accept any overages from stepping up our production levels which we intend to do over the next fiscal year.
We have never lost a shippment for any reason, government, weather or any acts of mother nature. Our forests are managed sustainable and rationally under programs approved in Brazil by Ibama and in Peru by Inrena. We have expert quality control personnel in both contries that supervize each step from the tree until product is loaded onboard ocean line vessels.
I hope this communication serves to respond to your doubts and concerns.
Warm Regards.
Ray Fernandez
EVP Marketing |
