KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Forestry Department says that on Monday it seized an additional 600 pieces of lumber that were illegally cut from the Cockpit Country Forest Reserve which forms part of the Cockpit Country Protected Area.

The department said the lumber was seized during an eight-hour operation with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and were hidden several miles inside the forest reserve accessed from Quickstep in St Elizabeth.

The operation on Monday was conducted without any adverse incident. There was no civil disorder, and the police ensured the safety of the officers of the State agency. Since the operation began on Friday, the agency has seized over 750 planks of board taken from various native trees, including the Jamaican mahogany, Blue mahoe, Bitterwood, Bitter damsel and Prickley yellow.

“Given the scale of the operation, it was evident that the activities were organised. It is clear that this is a well-coordinated and funded activity that had been executed over several weeks,” Ainsley Henry, the chief executive officer and conservator of forests said.

“Despite our efforts, it is clear that some planks were taken out prior to the commencement of our operations on Friday, and so we are encouraging Jamaicans to question the source of local lumber being purchased. Anyone who is trading in locally produced timber must have a valid and current sawmill licence. If you’re unsure of what it looks like, you can visit our website for an example,” Henry continued.

He added that the agency continues its investigations in partnership with the JCF and remains resolute in the protection and management of Jamaica’s forest resources.

The Forestry Department first disrupted the alleged illegal logging operation in the Cockpit Country Protected Area on Friday but was reportedly prevented from carrying out their duties when seven staff members were barricaded in by members of the community.

READ: Forestry Department says lumber seized in Trelawny was being harvested illegally

Accompong Maroon Chief Richard Currie Currie later took to social media, questioning the actions of the Forestry Department stating, “What is the Forestry Department doing with Mahogany? Solid mahogany. You know how old this tree must have been… So when our people have the problem and we raise the problem, it is as if we are the obstruction…”

READ: Maroon Chief Currie in hot water

The Forestry Department is the government agency responsible for the management and protection of government-owned forests, which include forest reserves and forest management areas.

Approximately 48 per cent (527,394 hectares) of Jamaica is classified as forests, and the agency manages just over 122,000 hectares of this amount of forest cover.