In a joint operation between the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) of the Los Lagos Region, through its Provincial Office Llanquihue, and the Investigative Police (PDI), a serious illegal cutting of native forest affecting an area of 160 hectares was confirmed.
The infraction was detected on a fiscal property belonging to the Chilean Army (Regiment No. 12 "Sangra"), located in the Río Pescado sector, in the commune of Puerto Varas. The commercial damage caused by these unauthorized logging operations has been valued at $1,383.3 million pesos, and the fine proposed by the forestry authority exceeds $8,300 million pesos.
On-site inspections revealed a flagrant violation of Article 5 of Law No. 20,283 on Recovery of Native Forest and Forestry Promotion, by carrying out logging operations without an approved Management Plan authorized by CONAF. Among the native species intervened and removed from the property, specimens of the following were identified: luma (Amomyrtus luma), tiaca (Caldcluvia paniculata), canelo (Drimys winteri), ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia), avellano (Gevuina avellana), tepa (Laureliopsis philippiana), coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi) and mañío (Podocarpus).
This operation is part of a sustained inspection effort by CONAF. Since 2014, the corporation has carried out a rigorous process of monitoring and reporting unauthorized logging in the Río Pescado sector, affecting both the fiscal property assigned to the Army and private lands.
To date, these actions have resulted in the filing of four million-dollar complaints before the Local Police Courts of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt during the years 2014, 2017 and 2023.
Fernando Gebhard, Regional Director of CONAF Los Lagos, warned about the serious socio-environmental implications of this illicit activity: "The main impact of unauthorized cutting in the native forest corresponds to the direct loss of this forest area, which has been carried out for more than 10 years in a systematic and continuous manner. This implies a permanent transit of people and vehicles, which affects the soil by leaving it unprotected from vegetation and causing compaction that prevents or hinders its aeration."
Likewise, the regional authority highlighted other key environmental deteriorations detected in the sector such as "alteration of water resources, identifying the alteration of surface water quality due to sedimentation effects or direct contamination, as well as disturbance of wildlife, confirming negative impacts on the habitat of local fauna, caused by the constant transit of people, annoying noises from machinery and heavy vehicles, and the presence of domestic animals in the intervention zone. Likewise, the disposal of abundant non-biodegradable garbage in the exploited areas was detected, further contaminating said ecosystem," concluded the regional authority.
Given the seriousness of the events, CONAF Los Lagos formally filed a criminal complaint for the crime of wood theft on fiscal property. This legal action is based on the powers granted by Article 7 of Decree with Force of Law (DFL) No. 15 of the Ministry of Agriculture of 1968.
Currently, the corporation actively participates by providing the necessary technical-forestry support for the criminal investigation efforts directed by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
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