Honduras is one step away from having a new forestry law

Within the next few days, the new proposal for the Forestry Law, which was developed by both the non-profit and public sector, as well as the National Congress Report Commission, will be sent before Congress. The people who have been involved approach this next phase of debate with peace of mind, content with how smoothly the process has gone. However, there is also an element of caution among the group, knowing that this law will significantly change how the forest is utilized and protected in Honduras.

Although there are still many doubts about these new blueprints for the Forestry Law, the actors who have participated in the discussions believe that they have arrived at a good and fair agreement, believing that these debates have led to a well-balanced proposal. They look forward to submitting the proposal to the Legislative Branch of Congress, confident that it will be approved in this final debate.

This proposal has already passed through two levels of Congress, and yet many sensitive issues still remain in how the forestry sector should be handled. Some of the concerns include: the utilization of natural resources, the management of protected areas, and the use of funds that will serve to nurture forestry sustainability.

One of the impressive points of this new proposal is that all sub-forestry sectors in Honduras would be converted into one sector, managed by one secretary, allowing these areas equal protection under the new law. This new structure of management would include the nomination of a Forestry Commissioner by Congress, who would serve as the head of forestry investigation.

The players of this discussion, who have worked point by point on this proposal alongside the National Congress Report Commission are: representatives of rural farm workers, agro-forestry cooperatives, logging companies, the Association for a more Just Society (AJS), technical advisors from the Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock, as well as delegates from; the National School of Forestry Science (Esnacifor), Honduran College of Forestry Professionals (Colproforh), non-government organizations dedicated the care of protected forestry areas, and Rigoberto Sandoval Corea, former manager of Cohdefor and consultant to the National Congress Report Commission of the Forestry Law.

Some of the organizations involved, do not believe the new creation of the Law is necessary, rather that the current law should be reformed in order to create mechanisms that, in reality, protect the forest. In their minds the creation of a new Law would only come to create serious problems in the use of forestry resources.

The Association of Honduran Municipalities also has reservations and point to various points that they believe must be considered and included in the new proposal.

Revistazo.com has collected a summary of the doubts and fears of Hondurans who are striving to utilize their forestry resources in the best way possible that will benefit the majority of the population as well as national development..

Article:

New Forestry Law
proposal sent
to Congress

Law works to respond
to all concerns

Interviews:

Rural worker´s perspective

AJS lawyer -Gilda Espinal

Representative of Congress

Former Director of Honduran Forestry Development

President of the Honduran Federation of Agro-Forestry