BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has strengthened its focus on the 1,331,491 hectares of forest lands and 1,236,580 hectares of watershed areas throughout the Caraga Region as it remained steadfast with its mandate particularly in the imposition of forest laws, rules and regulations to prevent killer floods similar to the environmental catastrophe in Metro Manila and Luzon that claimed hundreds of lives.

Environment Secretary Jose L. Atienza Jr. has been always focused on the “greening of the environment” although some local officials may have that “lack of genuine concern” to implement environmental laws in their own locality.

Atienza has standing orders to the regional field officials to stop illegal logging and mining activities in their area of responsibilities “if only to preserve what is remaining of the forest resources for the benefit of all, and not of the few, for the sake of the next generation.”

The DENR said that in Agusan del Sur for instance, which is considered as the country’s remaining bastion of forest resources, the agency has redoubled its strict monitoring of the movements of forest products in the province.

Agusan del Sur Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Sixto C. Badua has reported that since January this year up to the present, a total of 22,279 pieces of illegal logs equivalent to 8,489.49 cubic meters and 6,693 pieces of lumber equivalent to 105,623.70 board feet has been confiscated by joint operatives of police, Army and DENR with the full support of the Agusan del Sur Gov. Ma. Valentina Plaza, the Consortium of Civil Society Organization, Caraga Conference for Peace and Development, and the Save Agusan Project.