More than five thousand trees "used" in Comasagua: Chronicle of a slaughter 
Villa Germania, Comasagua. Photo: Henry Barillas.
By Henry Barillas
Since early this year, the municipality of Comasagua communities have made complaints to Radio Balm, a community radio station located in the department of La Libertad, on a huge tree felling and extraction timber on a farm in this county.
Given these allegations, I decided to verify the claim that these listeners did. In visits to communities in Canton Conacaste Violet, San Rafael, La Ceiba, San Luis, El Cacique, Rainbow, Vista Hermosa and the colony Venezuela, in all these manifestations witness how they are being felled pine and cypress trees, as many of the inhabitants of these communities are working on that farm.
According to workers there, are about 7 billion trees which are felled, the farm has the name "Germania" and the owners are Lords of the Cohen family.
Residents of Comasagua express concern, for despite the damage they do not know technically if they know that a huge logging, is an attempt on the life, which they state that "it is a threat to watersheds and that affect the climate in the area. "
Amid these complaints, people have said that whoever is giving the permits is the mayor or at least has something to do, he does not say anything, there are those who have stated that up ratatouille about through the hall.
Others speak of the need to request an explanation and require the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, MARN, that this one of data and to assess the damage being done to the flora and fauna of the municipality and another version that said a community leader in a radio program Balm, is that "the permits is spreading forest offices located in Zaragoza."
face of uncertainty, speculation, concern and outrage Comasagua of people resolved to see more detail for the felling of trees on the summit of the Cordillera del Balsamo.
In a visit I made in February for mayor of Comasagua, to see if the district had knowledge about this subject, I met with the Communications Manager Hector Perez and I said no, that perhaps he knew was in charge Environment, Mr. Armando Monterrosa, asked to speak to him at that time but was not.
for work had been living and surviving in the municipalities of Teotepeque and Jicalapa and my research on this environmental problem was a bit Comasagua shelved. The
April 16, along with some members / as boards of rural communities Comasagua decided to visit La Finca Germania, they had a goal and I was two, the first the same as them, support them in the flow measurement of a slope that they are negotiating with the owners and the other objective, finding the felling of trees and collect some evidence, ie photographs.
We entered the farm and like any big farm on the right side entrance, some sites that are offices of the foremen and engineers who manage this. On the left side a truck and almost ready to go with the best of cypress wood and completely Acerra and another waiting to fill it.
A large volcano
sawdust told us that hundreds of trees had been harvested and sent to those who paid for that wood. I continued driving and after about 400 meters walked we find 6 men bike close and a huge truck ready to be loaded.
hindered the truck all the way and had to leave the vehicle there, and walk 1 km to the water source, that allowed us to better see the slaughter of pines and cypresses. Along the way, a strong smell of cypress felt was so strong that even I feel it in my clothes soaked. On that occasion we find the spot by communities and that day we picked a few important evidences for history of the struggle for the environment in the Cordillera del Balsamo. Faced with what was found
decided to approach the relevant institutions, and made a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture on 25 May, where I could meet with the forest manager of Santa Tecla, with Mr. Carlos Alvarado. That day we talked a little about the environmental situation in Comasagua and forest managers in the department of La Libertad.
He said it is not responsible for that area, the forest manager Comasagua and municipalities in the area south of La Libertad is Daniel Zuniga, this has an office in Zaragoza.
"He can give you information on the farm Germania, and over all the area of \u200b\u200bLa Libertad, because he is in charge. " "I have understood that there is a meeting Thursday in Comasagua, the people of the municipality, the institutions, we and other people, but ask him because he is the one who knows," said Carlos Alvarado.Después me of that talk in the offices of Ministry of Agriculture in Santa Tecla, we prepared for the visit to the forest manager of the south of La Libertad, in the offices of the Commission of Civil Protection in Zaragoza.
After searching Wednesday, Thursday of that week, I finally found on Friday 28 May, we salute and go to the point about the problems in Comasagua, asking on what the situation and how that tree is harvested and how much you have permission for this.
turns out that the June 20, 2008, one of the administrators of the estate engineers Germania which owns Hirs Robert Cohen, requested a certificate for the use of 8.557 trees, including pines and cypresses.
Mr. Daniel Zuniga would say that "there is a permit that is required when you own a farm and the trees have been planted by the owner, these are to be harvested as timber and also to manage production a particular crop, in this case is coffee and that it was justified under Articles 16 and 17 of the forestry law some of the verbatim article 17 read:
coffee shade trees and other species that are within the coffee plantation, where the activity seek the preservation and improvement of it.
Fruit, other agricultural crops permanent isolated trees located on soils suitable for agriculture or livestock.
capable of regrowth trees without reaching their total elimination, if they are located outside natural forests.
At the request of Robert Cohen, Mr. Zuniga had the technical visit and according to him, found the plot of land is 264.8 apples, property is cultivated with coffee in its entirety which is in good condition, requested the trees were planted some 40 years ago, and draperies are forming at the edge of internal roads of the estate, is also a pure cypress plantation more 3 blocks. Of the 8.557
trees requested by Mr. Cohen to the forestry office, he recommended the "use" of 5000 and 200 cypress pine, but as he has all the legal freedom to clear (benefit) from which the request. The
I had spoken to use because the tree is extracted raw material, in this case is wood and an owner of a property have trees, if they are not endangered, it is found that as the owner planted them, have every right to use them (cutting them).
The farm visit an assessment was made of wood estimated to be drawn based on the parameters and volume mensuration of trees authorized or approved by the forestry office.
These trees had an average height of 13 meters and average depth of 60 cm with a height usable wood from 8 meters. According to estimates, this hacienda to 15854 meters cubic commercially profitable, more 5200 meters cubic of wood. According to Daniel Zuniga
and record data for the use of trees, it was recommended to replace the felled trees with equal number of trees felled plantations and planted trees of native species in danger of extinction in the aquifer recharge areas.
Paradoxically, this label has years of being at the entrance to the town of Comasagua.
Photo: Henry Barillas
So far there has been no effort to preserve forested areas and aquifer recharge in Comasagua, or by the municipality, private enterprise, communities, the central government (MARN, MAG, ETC) or non-governmental institutions. The
land use plan south of La Libertad Comasagua poses for the development and delivery of igerillo plantations for biofuel production, increased production of coffee and tourism development. This proposed a land use plan for their resources, beauty and natural wealth, which if permitted would Comasaguence population exploited by companies that monopolize the market forever and extract resources without sustainable management, with an extraction these exploitative manner, regardless of the damage and impact on the territories and populations, leaving a vulnerable city, environmentally, socially and economically. Although the only
Hope lies in the organization of communities, which will be the only ones affected by the degradation of their fauna and flora, that is something Comasagua relatively abundant, as well as be the only victims and affected peoples of climate change, which to Comasagua, a municipality that is situated in the heartland of the Cordillera del Balsamo in the department of La Libertad; even be stopped before it is too late.
