Batipa forestal

Batipa Forestal

The reforestation project was established in the circumferential area of Batipa Hill, down to the coast at 200 meters above sea level. From that elevation, a wildlife reserve was created, connecting to the mangroves through a network of biological corridors that allow the free movement of wildlife between both forests. The initial work involved establishing nurseries from seeds obtained, with the permission of Mr. Victor Méndez on his farm with 40-50-year-old teak trees, from which trees with the best conformation were selected. Subsequently, a planting plan of approximately 100 hectares per year was established, with the goal of completing the project by 2008. This plan included the construction of roads for plantation delineation and management, the demarcation of the plantations in relation to the wildlife reserve, and fire protection measures.

History

The tax incentives provided by Law 24 of 1992 motivated our companies to undertake a reforestation project. After a search process in different provinces to select the most suitable property for this purpose, a two-thousand-hectare piece of mainland surrounded by an equal amount of mangroves was chosen. This property, located in the southern part of the Chiriquí province, 25 kilometers from the city of David, takes the shape of a peninsula bordered to the north by Gallina Hill, to the south by Muertos Bay, to the east by the Horconcitos estuary, and to the west by the Chorcha River estuary.

The sales condition stipulated that the entire property, including the existing cattle, had to be purchased. This initially compelled us to plan three projects: the main one, and the reason for the purchase, a 1,000-hectare reforestation project with the teak timber species; a 400-hectare livestock project, and the establishment of a 600-hectare Wildlife Reserve.

Hectares of teak

Hectares for the livestock project

Hectares of wildlife reserve

Reforestation Project

The reforestation project was established in the circumferential area of Batipa Hill, up to an elevation of 200 meters above sea level. From that elevation, a wildlife reserve was created, connecting to the mangroves through a network of biological corridors that allow the free movement of wildlife between both forests. The initial work involved establishing nurseries from seeds obtained, with the permission of Mr. Victor Méndez on his farm with 40-50-year-old teak trees, from which trees with the best conformation were selected. Subsequently, a planting plan of approximately 100 hectares per year was established, with the goal of completing the project by 2008. This plan included the construction of roads for plantation delineation and management, the demarcation of the plantations in relation to the wildlife reserve, and fire protection measures. The results can be appreciated in the following images:

To date, there have been more than 75,000 hectares across the country. The significance of this effort, largely driven by the Association of Reforesters of Panama – ANARAP, should not be measured solely in its quantitative dimension. In qualitative terms, it means that Panamanians are not deforesters by nature but by culture, and they can change their relationship with forests when they understand the importance of what they can gain from different behavior. An example of the importance of this change is the fact that Panama is expected to export 8,000 containers of teak wood in 2017. The Batipa project, which began exporting final harvest wood in 2015, contributed 110 containers in that year, 150 in 2016, and is projected to export 180 in 2017. These quantities can increase without further deteriorating the country's forest coverage, which has suffered significantly. In Batipa, for instance, each harvested plot is replanted. At present, we are acquiring seedlings (clones) to assess the advantages of this method. We also have several plots that we are evaluating through regrowth management to similarly measure the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Batipa has measurement plots to monitor the growth and behavior of the plantation throughout the growth period.