URDANETA CITY—The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based here and the local government unit in this city launched the other day “Sagipin ang Puno, Mag Ipon ng Diaryo” that aims to establish socialized fuel plantations that will provide alternative livelihood source for charcoal makers while saving public forests from proceeds of selling old newspapers.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under Leduina Co, CENRO head in this city, for this “very worthy project”.

Co admitted that they now have zero budget for reforestation since 2003, or if at all there is fund available, it can only reforest 10 hectares every year compared to the 49,000 hectares of forest lands under her jurisdiction that covers 15 towns and this city in eastern Pangasinan.

Co cited major issues confronting them that has led to the denudation of forest lands like overpopulation, illegal occupants encroaching the uplands, forest land clearing for agricultural purposes, poverty, charcoal making, fuel wood gathering, timber poaching, illegal cutting of trees, forest fires, siltation of major rivers, soil erosion and very meager budget allocation for water rehabilitation and forest protection.

For whole year, her office has only P22,000 for forest protection, she said.

To address these problems, she called on all stakeholders, government and non-government officials, concerned citizens, businessmen, the academe, among others to donate old newspapers and the proceeds will be used for the establishment of socialized fuel wood plantation.

She said for every 10 hectares to be reforested, the budget is P23,000 and these will be for three years, thus they will be needing P230,000.

She added that they will be needing 46,000 kilos of old newspapers for the estimated 10 hectares fuel wood plantation. Proceeds will be deposited in a bank and a non-government organization will take charge of the collection and disbursement of funds.

Their initial target collection will be on June 23 and this will run for the next three years.

Perez has initially pledged P20,000 to bankroll the project while the Department of Education in the city said they will ask their students to donate at least a kilo of old newspapers to support this noble cause.