Mexico: Illegally Harvested Wood Seized in Jalisco and Chihuahua

Inspectors from the Federal Department of Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) in Jalisco and Chihuahua have secured 626.6 cubic meters of illegally harvested rolled pine – equivalent to 200 adult pine trees, Milendo reports. The seizure comes as part of the Zero Tolerance Program for Illegal Logging. In Jalisco, wood was seized from a sawmill when the owner could not prove wood was of a legal origin. In Chihuahua, inspectors temporarily closed a sawmill because their logbook did not show entries or exits of raw materials. Both sawmills are legally registered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and have five days to prove the legal origin of their raw materials or face heavy fines. Read Article