“It's in an alarming stage!”

That was how Department of Environment and Natural Resources Negros Occidental Provincial head Andres Untal described yesterday the state of the remaining forests at the Mt. Kanlaon and Northern Negros Natural Parks in the province.

Untal said these natural parks are experiencing forest and habitat degradation at a rate of at least 2,400 hectares a year, and an annual net total forest loss of 290 hectares due to unregulated extraction of forest resources, illegal cutting of trees, unregulated fuelwood collection, illegal hunting and intensive conversion of agriculture use and settlements.

He said that, as of the present, only 19,000 hectares of canopy or virgin forest remain in these two natural parks that overlap with the Bago River Watershed constituting the largest portion of the remaining terrestrial forest ecosystem in Negros Island.

With a combined area of about 120,000 hectares, the Bago watershed supplies water to more than 15,000 hectares of irrigated lands and several industries and commercial establishments in 9 cities and 7 municipalities in Negros Occidental, Untal said.

Aside from supplying water, MKNP and NNNP are also home to several endangered species such as the Negros Bleeding-heart dove, Visayan Warty pig, Visayan Spotted deer and the red lauan trees, records from the provincial DENR show.

Untal said that to arrest the effects of forest destruction that affect the water sheds in Negros Occidental and in other parts of the country, DENR launched the Biodiversity and Watershed Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Reliance or B+WISER.

Under the program, he said the DENR and the United States Agency for International Development will share in the allotment of funds for reforestation projects in seven natural parks and watersheds in the country.

Meanwhile, a forest forum was held in Murcia town, Negros Occidental on Monday, while a photo exhibit is ongoing at SM City Bacolod in celebration of the World Earth Day yesterday.

Environmental advocates also converged at the Bacolod City Public Plaza yesterday and some of them shaved their heads, saying they would rather have their hair cut than allow the continuous illegal logging that affects the remaining forest land in Negros Occidental.*APN

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