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Coyhaique Combats Illegal Logging with Restoration Plan
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In an effort to counteract the devastating effects of illegal logging, regional authorities presented a Management and Restoration Plan for the native forest of the state-owned Lago Frío property.
The initiative, backed by the Ministry of National Assets and a $50 million investment, aims at ecological recovery and the implementation of sustainable forest management.
The provincial head of Conaf in Coyhaique, José Luis Pérez, highlighted that since November, immediate measures have been taken, such as establishing a perimeter closure, to prevent further damage. Long-term planning includes the restoration of the native forest and the adoption of sustainable management practices.
The pilot project at Lago Frío is a collaborative partnership between institutions that will allow for the evaluation of the land's productive potential and establish how much timber volume can be produced sustainably. Irina Morend Valdebenito, Regional Ministerial Secretary (Seremi) of National Assets for Aysén, emphasized the need to manage state-owned properties with criteria of perpetuity to conserve water resources, fauna, and timber production.
For his part, the Regional Ministerial Secretary (Seremi) of Agriculture, Eugenio Ruiz Espinoza, highlighted the ecosystem importance of the lenga, a native species of the area, and the vision of Conaf and National Assets to make forests more sustainable. Fernando Bascuñán Pino, from the Department of Forest and Climate Change of Conaf in Aysén, mentioned that the Siembra por Chile program has been key to financing large-scale restoration.
The Lago Frío case came to light in July, when an operation detected six people extracting firewood without authorization. These individuals now face severe penalties under Law 21.488. The management plan already underway includes a 2,500-meter perimeter fence and the development of a forest management plan that must be approved by Conaf, thereby guaranteeing the legal and ecological protection of the forest.
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