Pakistan's World's Oldest Juniper Forest Threatened

***********************************************

WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

***********************************************

Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

6/17/96

Cable News Network reports on destruction of the world's oldest juniper

forest in Pakistan. Many of the trees are thousands of years old.

Regrettably, I have been offline as begin a new consultancy. Forest

updates should once again be more frequent from here on out.

g.b

*******************************

RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Ancient forest being destroyed in Pakistan

June 9, 1996

Web posted at: 11:10 p.m. EDT

ZIARAT, Pakistan (CNN) -- Environmentalists say the world's oldest juniper

forest is in danger of being destroyed because the trees are being cut down

for firewood and timber.

Pakistan's mountainous Baluchistan province is home to that forest, where

the huge, slow-growing junipers live for 2,000 or even 3,000 years.

The juniper is among the few trees that can survive the harsh desert

conditions of that province. But now, more than ever, junipers in this

poverty-stricken area are being cut down for firewood.

"The juniper is being used for other purposes also, like the timber wood,

construction timber and the timber for developing agricultural fields,"

said the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mohammed

Rafiq.

Environmentalists fear the cutting could result in the end of the juniper

because it cannot grow back fast enough. And its absence could have a

serious impact on farming.

The trees currently divert rainwater into the ground, replenishing

underground water supplies, which in turn, irrigate the soil.

Conservationists are frustrated with the situation.

"Under the present environment, we feel, it's very hard to get its

regeneration because it's very slow growing and people's demand for

firewood, that's increasing," said Yousuf Kakar, a Divisional Forest

Officer.

Many people of the region are aware of the danger of losing the juniper

forest, and have asked for help to preserve the trees.

"We have a very deep link with these forests and something must be done to

save them," said Mehrab Khan, a landlord.

The Pakistani government has attempted to help save the forest by providing

7,000 cylinders of free propane gas to discourage people from harvesting

the juniper firewood for fuel. But subsequent refills have not been

available.

Many call the measure a temporary solution to a long-lasting problem.

Environmentalists are suggesting the introduction of a new type of

evergreen to the region.

But until something is done, junipers of the Baluchistan juniper forest

will continue to disappear faster than they can be replenished.

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

This document is a PHOTOCOPY and all recipients should seek permission from

the source for reprinting. You are encouraged to utilize this information

for personal campaign use; including writing letters, organizing campaigns

and forwarding. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely pieces;

though ultimate responsibility for verifying all information rests with the

reader. Check out our Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL=

http://forests.org/gaia.html

Networked by:

Ecological Enterprises

Email (best way to contact)-> gbarry@forests.org