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"We Ask for Respect": Forestry Sector Responds to Minister Valenzuela After Accusations of "Whining"

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The statements made by the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, caused "discomfort" and "surprise" among the main trade associations and organizations linked to the forestry and timber industry in the country.

This came after he was asked in an interview with DF about the sector's criticism of the government's Wildfire Bill currently being processed in the Senate: "There's too much whining," he remarked in defense of the initiative.

In response, three presidents from the Red Futuro Madera (Wood Future Network), which brings together six associations, expressed their dissatisfaction.

"The minister's words hurt and surprise us, especially since the forestry sector has long demonstrated, with hard data and technical foundations, the arguments supporting our critical stance on the Wildfire Bill and the complex situation faced by small and medium-sized forestry and timber businesses," said Rodrigo O'Ryan, president of the Wood Corporation (Corma).

"We hope that once the emergency passes, we can draw conclusions and agree on the changes the bill needs," he added.

Meanwhile, René Muñoz, manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag), stated in response to Valenzuela's remarks that "the trade associations of the forestry and timber sector ask for respect."

"Hopefully, given recent events—such as the declaration of a State of Emergency and curfews in some communes—senators reviewing the Wildfire Bill will recognize that this is the right path and that the legislation must incorporate preventive climate patrols involving police and the Armed Forces, as well as the creation of specialized prosecutors," he noted.

Michel Esquerré, president of the Small and Medium-Sized Timber Industries (Pymemad), responded that this is not "whining," but rather "legitimate observations made by trade associations, especially those representing the weakest in the forestry economy—small and medium-sized landowners and sawmills."

Along these lines, he emphasized that their demands "should be seen as a call for help, so the law does not end up harming the weakest while strengthening the largest."

The other partners of the Red Futuro Madera are the Chilean Biomass Association (AchBiom), the College of Forestry Engineers of Chile (Cifag), and the Native Forest Owners Association (Aprobosque).

The bill

The initiative aims to strengthen wildfire prevention through changes in land-use planning and agroforestry regulation, creating "buffer zones" in rural areas and "urban-rural interface zones," where all types of landowners must comply with mandatory mitigation measures depending on their area's risk level.

These measures include Firebreaks, Vegetation-Free Zones, Fuel Reduction Strips, as well as pruning and silvicultural management.

Given the costs these measures would impose on small forestry and agricultural producers—and the fines they could face for non-compliance—industry associations have argued that the law would leave them in an "impossible position" and fails to address the wildfire problem.

In response to these criticisms, Minister Valenzuela stated: "I think there's too much whining, and it's as if they're seeing windmills, because I insist that we’ve consulted with Conaf and Indap, and this will be very pragmatic, with full technical expertise. Additionally, there will be an internal appeals process for fines. No one here wants to bankrupt anyone."

Valenzuela added, "We are willing to moderate the fines, and that’s what we need to agree on with the different stakeholders."

The bill includes minor, serious, and very serious penalties, reaching up to 5,000 UTM.

The minister stressed that "this is a structural prevention and mitigation law." He added, "The industry complains and says this law is imperfect, that what matters here is cracking down on those who cause fires, but that already exists, and the law is very harsh."

The head of the ministry said the bill is 95% complete and expects it to be published in the Official Gazette before June 1.

Source: Subscription edition ofDiario Financiero