Robert Lalah, Staff ReporterIT WILL cost in the region of $53 million to restore the island's forestry to where it was before Hurricane Ivan hit on September 10.
This, according to Marilyn Headley, head of the Forestry Department, who was speaking at a Gleaner Editors' Forum held on Friday at the company's North Street offices, central Kingston.
She urged all Jamaicans to help in the rebuilding effort by becoming involved in National Tree Planting Day on Friday, October 8.
Describing the damage to the nation's forestry, Mrs. Headley said: "Ivan didn't cause as much damage to the forestry as (Hurricane) Gilbert did. However, information still remains because of roadblocks. We haven't been able to get into all areas. We lost trees in varied amounts across the entire island".
Mrs. Headley noted that the most badly affected parishes were Portland, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, Manchester and St. Andrew, particularly rural St. Andrew which she said suffered 'lots of damage'.
1,800 SEEDLINGS LOST
She noted that four of the island's nurseries experienced damage and so far they have verified that 1,800 seedlings have been lost. Mrs. Headley said the $53 million is more an estimate of the replacement cost than it is an assessment of the the value of the trees which were either damaged or completely lost.
Mimicking the very forests they represent, which are able to break down and replenish themselves naturally, the Forestry Department is hoping to raise as much of the $53 million as possible, by salvaging lumber from downed trees.
"Since the hurricane, there has been a lot of lumber on the ground. We want to salvage the lumber, sell it and use the revenue from this, to fund the replanting," Ms. Headley said.
She noted that while trees were lost in the hurricane, there was minimal ground damage (landslides) within the island's forests. This fact she said demonstrates that good forest cover protects the ground. In light of this, between 10,000 and 12,000 seedlings (timber and ornamental) are being made available to the public free of cost to be planted on National Tree Planting Day. Persons who wish to participate, can contact the department by calling 924-2667.
