BELMOPAN, Belize, Nov 14, CMC – The Belize government has announced a moratorium on the issuance of short-term forest licences and petty permits on national and lease land after indicating that it had become necessary due to mounting evidence of forest stock depletion and increased pressures being placed on young and regenerating forest
The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management said that the moratorium would go into effect from December 1, 2025 for a five year period.
“Furthermore, individual applications for short-term forest licences and petty permits for the cutting and harvesting of trees from lands held under leases will be reviewed more stringently and meticulously with a view towards conservation and protection.
“The moratorium and the increased scrutiny of applications have become necessary due to mounting evidence of forest stock depletion and increased pressures being placed on young and regenerating forest stands as a result of the unsustainable extraction of trees, the increased harvesting for temporary construction supports (prop sticks), combined with unauthorized cutting of young trees below girth size limits.”
The government said these pressures are further exacerbated by the growing incidence and intensity of wildfires and that “collectively, these threats jeopardize the country’s forest regeneration capacity, undermine future timber supply, weaken ecosystem services, and risk long-term economic and environmental losses”.
It said that during the moratorium, the Forest Department will conduct comprehensive forest-stock and regeneration assessments, develop a National Forest Replenishment Plan, strengthen enforcement against illegal extraction and promote sustainable alternatives such as bamboo cultivation, reusable steel scaffolding, and other low-impact construction materials.
“From a more practical standpoint, the moratorium will allow a period for threatened, degraded and over harvested forests to regenerate thereby allowing young trees to grow and reach merchantable sizes, improve ecosystem services and increase the forests’ ability to withstand and recover from forest fires and other threats.
“Additionally, this period of regeneration will provide the added benefit of wildlife ecosystem and habitat restoration resulting in an increase in wildlife stocks,” the ministry added.
CMC/ag/ir/2025