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Posted on Feb 16, 2021 in Latest News, Newsroom

(Waimnalo) Just after dawn, two officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) drove around the 16-acre former site of the Dragon Garden-Hawaii Bonsai Cultural Center in the back of the valley Waimnalo. They entered numerous structures to make sure there were no squatters, in advance of an enormous clean-up of the property.

Based on lease violations, lessees Walter Liew and Ann Liew lost their lease after a ruling from the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), last December.

Abandoned vehicles, illegal structures, an infinite variety of rubbish, and possibly hazardous chemicals leaking from discarded barrels or mixed in soil that was illegally dumped create a literal potpourri of useless junk.

During the clean-up work crews and heavy equipment will be working and could pose safety hazards to anyone in the area. DOCARE officers will continue to patrol the property. Anyone trespassing onto the property could be cited or arrested.

When the head of the clean-up crew from the DLNR Engineering Division surveyed the extent of the mess this morning, he estimated it will take several weeks to clear everything out.

The land is designated for agricultural purposes and is expected to remain as such, once the remediation is completed.

# # #

(RESOURCES)

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video Property and SOTs (DOCARE officer Fagota Tataipu):

Photographs Property and DOCARE sweep:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cxrju2ggcwp60jx/AAAusKi3YtsNuFNTNt_mTJkra?dl=0

Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Senior Communications Manager

(808) 587-0396

[emailprotected]

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DLNR NEWS RELEASE: DRAGON BONSAI GARDEN IN WAIMNALO IS SITE OF MASSIVE PROPERTY CLEAN-UP - David Y. Ige | Newsroom

The companies claimed to have made significant strides in reducing the use of child labor, but have failed to meet their goal because "the real magnitude of child labor in the cocoa supply chain and how to address the phenomenon were poorly understood" when they made the pledge in 2001, as Timothy S. McCoy, a World Cocoa Foundation vice president, explained to the Washington Post. They further stated that the blame for child labor cannot lay entirely with them, saying the West African government, NGOs, and other members of the international community must also accept some responsibility for the problem.

"This lawsuit does not advance the shared goal of ending child labor in the cocoa industry. Child labor is a complex, global problem, and tackling this issue is a shared responsibility. All stakeholders including governments, NGOs, communities, and the broader cocoa industry need to continue to address its root causes to have an impact," a Nestl spokesperson said in an email statement sent to Business Insider. Hershey's concurred in a similar statement, saying: "We have worked hard over the past several years to implement meaningful programs and work with our cocoa suppliers and West African governments to combat these issues and use our influence to make a positive impact," but addressing child labor "requires significant investment and intervention on the ground in West Africa, not in the courts."

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The Horrifying Reason These Major Chocolate Companies Could Be Facing Legal Action In The US - Mashed

SINGAPORE - Large swathes of Kranji woodland along the rail corridor were mistakenly clearedwhile the authorities were in the midst of biodiversity impact assessments there.

Aerial photos of the site showing the destruction of the woodland, a 70hagreen patch home to around 40 species of birds, emerged on social media on Sunday (Feb 14). One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.

In response to these posts, a JTC Corporation spokesman said on Tuesday that the land was "erroneously" cleared by its contractor before the completion of environmental assessments.

The National Parks Board told The Straits Times that it is investigating the unauthorised clearance at the site.

"We take a serious view of unauthorised greenery clearance and will not hesitate to take the appropriate enforcement action," it added.

Development projects in Singapore near sensitive nature areas are subject to greater scrutiny and may be required to carry out more detailed environmental studies.

Beginning at the end of last December, green patches were cleared on the site, slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park, which is part of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District (Sked). The master plan for the latter, which seeks to support new growth sectors such as agri-tech and environmental technology, was announced in February last year.

Upon discovering the mistake during a site inspection on Jan 13, JTC instructed the contractor, Huationg, to stop all clearing works immediately.

No further clearing has taken place at the site since then and the contractor has been issued a stern warning, JTC said.

According to the statutory board, it had engaged an environmental specialist to conduct a biodiversity baseline study last December to create an environmental monitoring and management plan (EMMP) for specified plots of land within the area. These were expected to be completed around April before plans to engage stakeholders.

"JTC will continue with the baseline study and EMMP and will work closely with all relevant stakeholders...to ensure that the Sked redevelopment plans are carried out with due consultation and in an environmentally responsible and sensitive manner," the spokesman said.

"The findings of the studies will be publicly available when ready."

In a statement, Huationg apologised and said it was working with JTC on investigations "to determine the cause of this lapse, and to prevent future occurrences".

"We are also reviewing internally and working with JTC to strengthen our project management processes," the contractor added.

Members of the nature community were shocked by what had happened.

Mr Brice Li, who posted the photos, said: "My heart sank when I saw that around 40 to 50 per cent of the area was gone."

The green patches cleared were on a site slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park. PHOTO:BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

Upon receiving a phone call about the situation, the creative art director visited the site to survey the damage on the first and second day of Chinese New Year.

"I usually share photos and videos showcasing the beauty of places but this was too much for me not to show," added the nature lover who had shot a video of the woodland in May 2019.

"This was a... human error that could have been avoided," he said.

One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

On Monday, Nature Society Singapore (NSS) commented in a Facebook post that this was a "shocking and dreadful development".

"It's a huge oversight... We lost a sizeable natural habitat and a picturesque space for hikers along the northern sector of the rail corridor," said NSSconservation committee chair Leong Kwok Peng.

This will likely affect the ecological significance of the rail corridor, but the impact can be fully understood only with an environment impact assessment, said environmental consultant Tony O'Dempsey.

"If we take out the destinations that the rail corridor connects to, it has less utility as a corridor," he added.

Nature lovers recommended retaining the woodland as part of the design for the redevelopment.

The Kranji woodland is unique because it forms a direct connection between the mangrove-lined Sungei Pang Sua tidal canal and the rail corridor, said Mr O'Dempsey.

Birds and bats, which use the woodland for nesting and roosting, are important seed dispersers that contribute to the area's biodiversity.

"This would be a crowning feature of the (Sked) development, bringing some heart to the built environment," he added.

"We would have proposed a bigger width for the green buffer on both sides of the rail corridor and that the Kranji woodland be merged with Sungei Pang Sua as a single habitat," Mr Leong said, adding that wildlife tends to be richer with a water body.

"I am confident that whatever damage has been done can be restored... though it could take over a decade or so," said Mr O'Dempsey.

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NParks investigating after swathes of Kranji woodland along rail corridor were cleared by mistake - The Straits Times

Pierce Land Clearing has just included a new feature to their services recently which includes free lectures for the residents of the community of Texas.

WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS - Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) has announced a new offer for their services. As a result of rising demand for land clearing and tree removal, which is Waxahachie forestry mulching, a new innovative and more efficient method of land clearing in Waxahachie, which involves the clearing of land with a specified machine to get more work done in a short period with optimum results. The CEO of the company further explained in a conference held early this year that the company has noticed that the people of Texas have little or no understanding of what method is best used when it comes to land clearing. Hence the introduction of forestry mulching Waxahachie, site prepping and mesquite removal, and many other things that relate to the clearing of land.

Furthermore, in line with the compliance with the Covid19 guidelines and precautions, the company also organizes a free consultation for the citizens on the various types of services offered by the company. The residents of the community turned up in masses with their face masks on. They also observed social distancing during the lecture and consultation sessions.

Nevertheless, the free consultation is only opened to our clients who observe the Covid19 guidelines and precautions. This is to help individuals keep safe and to prevent the further spread of the virus.

About Us

Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) is a land clearing company that offers all kinds of land clearing services in Waxahachie, TX. The company has gained much relevance in the community since its establishment due to the quality of services provided.

Media ContactCompany Name: Pierce Land ClearingContact Person: Taylor PierceEmail: Send EmailPhone: (512) 883-1944Address:106 Hacienda Dr City: WaxahachieState: TXCountry: United StatesWebsite: piercelandclearing.com/

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Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) adds a new feature to its services for the residence of Waxahachie, TX. - Press Release - Digital Journal

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Flights canceled at Nashville International Airport due to winter storm - WSMV Nashville

Steven Spearie|State Journal-Register

Editor's note:The State Journal-Register is making this story about winter weather free for everyone to view as a public service. If you already subscribe, thank you. If not, please do so today at sj-r.com/subscribenow.

The Springfield area was expected to get close to eight inches of snow Monday accompanied by single-digit temperatures and wind gusts of up to 25 MPH making for wind chills in the 20-below range.

The snow affected areatravel and schools.

Alex Erwin, a meteorologist with theNational Weather Service in Lincoln, said Springfield and Sangamon County remains under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Tuesday

The University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College and Lincoln College all went to remote learning on Monday. Midwest Technical Institute was not in session Monday because of Presidents Day.

Lincoln Land Community College announced all of its facilities would also be closed Tuesday with classes operate remotely. Students with face-to-face classes should check Blackboard/Canvas for instructions.

District 186 schools will be conducting remote learning only for all students on Tuesday.

There will be no in-person hybrid learning for A-day learners. Tuesday will be a remote learning day, and not an emergency snow day. Remote attendance will be taken and students will be expected to engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous learning, as assigned.

The SCOPE child care program will be closed.

District 186 will be serving meals remotely from 7 to 11 a.m.at Springfield,Southeast and Lanphier high schoolsas well as Franklin and Washington middle schools.

There will be no school in the Auburn school district Tuesday due to the extreme weather. It is a traditional snow day and will be made up at the end of the school calendar, according to the district's website.

Sangamon Valley schools (Illiopolis, Nianticand Harristown) will go to remote learning Tuesday as will Ball-Chatham schools.

Jacksonville public schools and Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour's Grade School, alsoin Jacksonville, are closed Tuesday.

Also closed Tuesday are Springfield Catholic grade schools, Calvary Academy Williamsville-Sherman schools, Riverton schools and Edinburg

The winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday with six to eightinches of snow predicted. Counties in that warning area include Sangamon, Christian, Menard, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Cass, Morgan and Logan counties.

Light snow began fallingin the Springfield area in the early morning hours of Monday, with the brunt of the snowfall--about four to six inches--falling Monday afternoon.

A Wednesday storm system was thought to have more of an impact south of Interstate 70, Erwin said. There could be minor accumulations in the Springfield area at the time, Erwin said.

Lincoln hit another record cold highof 4 degrees on Sunday, eclipsingthe old record of13 in 1943. The city also tied a record low temperature of minus-6 Sunday. The old record was from 2020.

Lincoln also set a pair of temperature records Saturday.

A map of Sangamon County roads showedall roads either covered in snow and ice or mostly covered in snow and ice.

Menard County sheriff's deputies were reporting that east/west roads are drifting shut in some areas. Motorists are also advised to use cautiontraveling on State Park Road where cars are sliding down the hill onto Route 97.

Illinois State Police District 9 units respondedto several crashes in the surrounding Springfield area along Interstates 55 and 72.

Motorists were urged to useextreme caution if traveling through the area and allow extra time to get to a destination.

Taylorville Police reported a number of slide-offs, but no serious accidents, said Chief Dwayne Wheeler. There were up to two-hour waits for tow trucks, he said.

Sangamon Mass Transit District was asking passengers "to prepare for the possibility of suspended service Tuesday morning."

The City of Springfield has declared a snow emergency continuing through7 a.m. Friday. The declaration means the public is required to remove cars parked along snow emergency routes.

"It allows us to more efficiently remove the snow," said Nate Bottom, director of the Office of Public Works, about the snow emergency routes.

Sangamon County declared a Level 2 winter weather emergency late Monday afternoon until further notice.

County spokesman Jeff Wilhite said motorists are encouraged to stay off county roads unless it is absolutely necessary.

Under the Level 2 emergency, roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and maybe icy. There are areas where the roadways may be partially closed by the elements.

The Villages of Southern View and Jeromealso declared snow emergenciesthrough 7 a.m. Friday. The City of Jacksonville was under a snow emergency until at least Wednesda

Bottom said he anticipated the backshift drivers plowing most of the overnight into early Tuesday.

"We're definitely focusing our attention on the major arterials and then we'll move into the secondary roads," Bottom said.

Crews were using salt sparingly on trouble spots, Bottom added. While salt is less effective with the colder temperatures, it is alighter snow that crews were able to push off more easily, he said.

With the winds, snow has been drifting on Lenhart Road and Bissell Road "so we need to make sure we're clearing those areas as efficiently as possible," Bottom said.

It was light year in terms of use of salt until the pasttwo weeks when itpicked up substantially, Bottom said.

Public Works has used approximately 4,500 tons of its 6,000 ton allotment, though that cane be added to, Bottom said. Both of its salt domes are about three-quarters full, he said.

Motorists are reminded to watch for snowplowcrews and give them space to do their work. Residents and private snow removal crews clearing sidewalks and parking lots are prohibited by city ordinance from plowing the snow into the streets.

During a severe winter storm, residents can call the Office of Public Works toreport any problems or concerns at (217) 789-2246.

Residents and businesses need to make an effort to clear their sidewalks as a safety precaution, according to the city.

An ordinance cites that all sidewalks adjacent to their property shouldbe cleared of snow by 10a.m. on every morning of a snow event. Residents or businesses could be subject to a $250 fine for refusal to comply with the city ordinance.

Any concerns or complaints regarding sidewalk obstructions should be sent to the Citys Housing Division at (217) 789-2167.

Contact StevenSpearie: 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

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Springfield area hunkers down: What to know about road conditions, upcoming weather - The State Journal-Register

Ocala Star-Banner

I never did get around to reading English novelist George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (frequently shortened to the minimalist 1984) but my parents decided we would see a movie based on that book decades ago when I was a teenager. It was playing at the old Boulevard Drive-In Theater in Miami.

I was a bit too young back then to fully appreciate what the production was trying to portray with its depiction of a totalitarian society, but I do remember thinking the film was interesting but thoroughly unbelievable with its Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Peace, Newspeak, Doublethink, Room 101, Thought Police, Big Brother and other plot devices dreamed up by Orwell. The film was aimed at American audiences, while a later version with Richard Burton released in October 1984 targeted United Kingdom audiences. The one we saw was the 1956 version with Edmund OBrien in the starring role.

I re-watched the entire film a few days ago, and no longer found it so thoroughly unbelievable as I had all those decades ago.

COVID VACCINE: I received a note fromLynn Miller,who wrote: We signed up for the Marion County Board of Health site in late December. We got numerous emails and finally Wednesday, a call for one of us to get a shot at Paddock Mall.

Last week I signed us up for the statewide list to ensure we were on all lists. The Publix one is a 1 hour 45 minute wait and when the window opens up, if you are lucky, you get an option to get a shot in DeLand or St. Augustine. You have to have your Medicare number for Publix but not for the Board of Health. The BOH only requires proof of residency. We used our drivers licenses but you can use a photo ID if you live in a 55 plus community.

My husband asked the fine lady who called from the Board of Healthif I was on the list, and I was. Later at 7:30 p.m., I got a call from them asking if I still wanted the shot. Of course I said yes. It is the Pfizer vaccine.

We got our first dose last Thursday night with staff from AdventHealth and some great folks from the EMTs of Marion County at the Paddock Mall. My left arm is still sore, though at the time of the shot I felt nothing. They had a great group of people and were very organized.

However, though we have had cancer and bypasses, other pals and neighbors have not gotten the call yet. Some have who are much older than we are.

I believe it is because there are not a lot of doses.Some neighbors have gotten shots previously from the Marion Department Of Health and one from Publix. We just have to sit tight, I suppose.

PLEASED CLIENT: I have written several times aboutRobert Hughesof B&H Tree Services. Hes a crackerjack handyman who can take care of most chores around your home, including land clearing, painting and many other tasks.Teresa Kerznerwrote: I would like to thank you for the recommendation of B&H Tree Services. He came the same day I called to give me an estimate, and showed up with a crew the next day. Theydid an excellent job in a very tight space. The wrangling they had to do to avoid damaging fence, landscaping, and non-replaceable lighting was amazing to watch. They were done in one day and left my yard cleaner than they found it. Thanks!

Yes, Teresa, Bob and his crew do a great job. Other readers who may want to use his services can contact him at 572-9911 and tell him Emory (and Teresa) sent you!

Please send your comments toslyguy73@gmail.comand include your FULL name, town and telephone number. This column appears eachThursday and Saturday on the Local & State page and atocala.com

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Emory Schley: Reflecting on the meaning of '1984' - Ocala

When considering sustainable building materials, timber is an obvious option. As a renewable resource we can replace the timber we cut down and grow more. Other building materials are finite, with raw materials being depleted rapidly.

However, this is only one consideration of the sustainability of materials. Other factors, using the Declare label criteria, are: what is it made of, what is the life expectancy, where is it made, what is the embodied energy and where does it go at the end of its life.

Briefly addressing the first two points, timber is a natural material which can be very durable if properly maintained. Glue and varnish/paint used for fixing and finishing can have high VOCs so their use should be carefully considered.

The timber industry in Australia is well regulated and relies on plantation timbers and harvesting of natural forests. Land clearing iis a major contributer to carbon emissions and increases biodiversity loss, but according to the ABC, the primary reason for land clearing in Australia is agriculture, not the timber industry.

The use of Plantation timber from USA, Canada and Europe is acceptable, provided it is certified. There are certification programs for timber sourced elsewhere overseas, but the validity and transparency of logging and manufacturing are harder to verify.

Although timber is carbon neutral and renewable, it has to be correctly sourced. There are great opportunities for saving carbon emissions by using timber as a structural material rather than concrete or steel. Using locally sourced plantation timber reduces transportation related emissions. The most sustainable option is recycled timber. (A conversation for another time).

Timber lends itself beautifully to prefabrication, being easy to dismantle and reuse and perfect for frameworks such as Buildings As Material Banks (BAMB), where circular economy principles drive the design process. It means that buildings are designed to be dismantled, and the components can be reused in other buildings, rather than using new materials and creating waste. Fixing methods are critical, as mechanical fixings make deconstruction and reconstruction easier.

Overall, considering timber through the above criteria, it is a sustainable option, provided it is correctly sourced and certified. By understanding how to work with timber as a structural element while maintaining fire and acoustic performance, we can unlock the potential for economic and environmental sustainability benefits. There are benefits for using prefabricated timber structures for reduced construction time and waste. There are also possibilities for modular construction that can be deconstructed for reuse. The agility and flexibility of timber make it ideal for adaptive construction systems while reducing the carbon footprint of construction.

Yaara Plaves is the head of the National Sustainability Forum (NSF)

*Hames Sharley has established the National Design Forum (NSF), tasked with promoting and educating ourselves and our clients about sustainability.

Original post:
Yaara Plaves: ' Is building with timber really sustainable?' - Architecture and Design

SOLOK, Indonesia Clipped onto a rope, climbing high up in a tree swaying in gusts of wind, Topher White finally reaches the roof of the rainforest and opens a laptop to run checks on a machine he built to transmit 24-hour live sound from the surrounding forest.

The machine is one of 27 so-called Guardian sensors eavesdropping on forests in Indonesias West Sumatra province, to listen for chainsaws as a way to tackle illegal logging in the region.

Over the next five or six years, White hopes to install tens of thousands of these audio sensors in forests around the world.

Were basically building a nervous system for the natural world, he said.

White, 39, got the idea to use sound in environmental protection 10 years ago, while volunteering at a conservation project for gibbons in Borneo.

You couldnt really monitor (the forest reservation) with people walking around, but sound seemed like a good way to capture really anything, he said.

With a background in engineering, White spent nearly a year building an audio detection sensor using an old mobile phone, solar panels and a microphone, then returned to Indonesia to test the system.

Today, Whites nonprofit, Rainforest Connection, is recording sounds to protect nature in a dozen countries with funding from some of the worlds largest technology companies, including Google and Huawei.

Incoming audio streams, from the Amazon to the Philippines, are analyzed by artificial intelligence trained to pick out desired information, from the sounds of logging to bird calls.

If the system hears a chainsaw, it sends an alert via an app to community patrols, who can check on the ground for logging.

Since it was installed more than a year ago, local monitors say the system has made their jobs easier as they help with Indonesias crackdown on forest encroachment, which includes tougher law enforcement.

(Logging) has totally stopped people are afraid of coming to this area, said patroller Jasrialdi, who goes by one name like many Indonesians.

The canopy sensor White was checking in West Sumatras Solok regency is less than an hours walk through the forest from the road leading to Sirukam, a village sustained mainly by farming.

Until recently, about 200 of Sirukams 6,000 residents opted instead for better-paid work illegally extracting timber from the forest, according to Medison, who heads the LPHM, a local forestry agency.

While cutting down some trees for community use such as building a house is often tolerated in Indonesia, logging timber to sell is illegal, he explained.

There used to be no protection of the forest, said Romi Febriandi, the elected head of the village government.

Arief Wijaya, senior manager of climate, forests and oceans at the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Indonesia, said most deforestation in the country occurs due to land clearing for extractive industries.

But addressing the issue of improper community logging is also crucial, he said in an online interview.

According to Global Forest Watch, a satellite monitoring service run by WRI, Indonesias humid old-growth forest seen as vital for storing carbon dioxide and helping curb climate change shrank 10% from 2002 to 2019, but the rate of tree loss decreased in the last few years.

WRI data show production from Indonesias logging concessions declined between 2013 and 2018, but timber harvested by communities from forests like Sirukam increased by more than 50% during the same period.

In Sirukam, a tougher approach to enforcing rules against cutting down forest trees has squeezed timber trading in the area, according to former loggers and the local government.

The crackdown led Afriadi, not his real name, to ditch logging for rice farming in 2018.

The middle-aged man, dressed in a cap and batik shirt, who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity, had taken up logging nearly two decades ago.

There were no other jobs, he said.

Using chainsaws and ropes, Afriadi hauled trees out of challenging terrain hazardous work that saw one of his team die in an accident for which he earned up to 1.5 million rupiah ($107) per month.

Today, he makes a fraction of that as a casual laborer while barely feeding his family with what he grows on the farm.

He still fears arrest for his past as a logger. Its better to work on the farm because of that risk, he said.

As well as tracking forest sounds, Whites technology is also listening out for whales wandering into Vancouvers shipping lanes and gunshots in a Greek national park to stop hunting.

The AI has gone through six updates, deepening its understanding of the natural world with each iteration.

White said he can tell just by glancing at a spectrogram if the system is hearing a bird or a primate.

And with engineers training the AI to identify more than 100 species with precision, he hopes Rainforest Connections systems could prove a goldmine for researchers.

We would have to be doing something very wrong not to make some major ecological discoveries over the next few years, he added.

The sensors stream audio to the cloud over a mobile phone network, which has so far limited their application to areas with viable phone reception.

To tackle that problem, the group is planning to install 32 new satellite sensors in Brazil in March, and a cheaper offline model which stores the audio recording for someone to pick up later is being manufactured for about $100.

Yozarwardi Usama Putra, head of West Sumatras forestry department, said he would like to expand the projects early-warning system beyond the 27 sensors currently installed around the province.

Besides cracking down on logging, Indonesia is also working to encourage non-timber forest enterprises, he noted, adding the West Sumatra government is helping communities access equipment to cultivate and process goods from oyster mushrooms to coffee.

This year, Rainforest Connection plans to finish collecting data for peer review from Indonesia, Peru and Romania to prove the system does help curb logging, which White hopes will prompt governments to consider using the technology at a larger scale.

But some ex-loggers say protecting Indonesias forests comes at the cost of their livelihoods and their voices have yet to be heard.

Afriadis small rice field produces just enough for his family to eat. His work as a laborer brings in 70,000 rupiah per day, but he only earns that on a handful of days each month.

Without the income from tree-cutting, he fears he may not be able to provide for his children.

I am very worried, he said.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

The rest is here:
Treetop sensors help Indonesia eavesdrop on forests to curb illegal logging - The Japan Times

By Paul Pedro February 14, 2021 6:00am

The Ministry of Environment has ordered a landowner in Thamesville to stop cutting down trees on a property that may have multiple plant and animal species at risk after receiving several complaints.

Local environmentalists, including CK Woodlot Preservation said the tree clearing on Spence Line is hurting tree cover in the area, which they added is already very low compared to other municipalities across Ontario. They said there is species at risk in that woodlot and the land clearing is killing their habitat.

A ministry spokesperson said environmental enforcement officers visited the site and issued a verbal stop order under the Endangered Species Act to allow the ministry time to determine if any laws were broken.

The land is owned by Luiken and Hilary Huisman but Hilary said she had no time for a comment when contacted by Blackburn News.

CK Woodlot Preservation said Chatham-Kent has the lowest tree coverage in all of Southern Ontario at 3.5 per cent and dropping. The World Health Organization recommends a tree coverage of 10 per cent for a healthy community. The woodlot conservation group is contemplating a lawsuit against elected municipal officials, citing negligence regarding the issue of deforestation. They calculate approximately 200 acres of forest has been lost between 2009 and 2016 in a small part of Eastern Chatham-Kent, North of the 401.

How could any counselor say in good faith that more study is needed? We can see with our own eyes that the Natural Heritage Implementation Strategy (NHIS) has not conserved a single acre of forest. Forests are not replaced by tree plantations! posted CK Woodlot Preservation on its Facebook page.

Chatham-Kent does not currently have a forest conservation bylaw. Chatham-Kent General Manager of Community Development Bruce McAllister said that the municipality is one of the few remaining municipalities that does not currently have a regulatory tree management bylaw or site alteration bylaw of some type. However, he added collaboration continues with the the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) and willing landowners to increase forest, wetland and native prairie cover in Chatham-Kent.

The LTVCA said it doesnt regulate woodlands and the woodlot in question is out of its jurisdiction.

The LTVCA has no legal authority or means to prevent or stop the clearing of this woodlot, said Jason Wintermute of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. It is not occurring in a regulated area, so no permit is required from us. The Conservation Authorities Act legislation doesnt apply to this type of activity.

Link:
Mass tree cutting in Thamesville draws outrage - BlackburnNews.com