Old Colony Mennonites and Logging

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A sawmill in Little Belize, Corozal

  Twice in one month Old Colony Mennonites were caught in the middle of controversial logging operations which attracted national interest and caused many citizens to wonder about the extent of damage being wrought on our forests. First was the Boston incident in the Belize District where these Mennonites were discovered to be logging with an expired license and furthermore had destroyed community property by felling trees outside of their designated permit. It caused an uproar among the villagers which spread out across social media especially since the Mennonites' first reaction was to call a government official for assistance when police officers confronted them. The politicians then questioned the cops,  claiming this was a matter for the Forestry Dept. and not for police to deal with.
  The second confrontation was in southern Belize where a land owner visited his private property only to find the trees had been cut and land levelled to transport the logs. Again the Old Colony Mennonites were at the center of the stage.
  These two incidents highlight glaring gaps in the "Sustainable Management" system which politicians on both sides use as their motto when discussing Belize's natural resources on the international platform. Yet down here on the ground, Belizeans are seeing another scene being played out in the pristine jungles of our country. Jungles which are now marred by miles upon miles of bulldozer tracks, empty jerry cans, cigarrete stubs, and the sound of German-speaking voices. Of course, the Old Colony Mennonites are not the only ones wreaking havoc on the forests. So are the rest of unconcerned Creoles, Mestizos and indigenous persons from across the country; but among all the Mennonite groups, including the ones from Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, the Old Colony is the largest branch and unfortunately the most notorious for deforestation as evidenced in areas such as the Peruvian forest and in the southern states of Mexico.
  Ironically, they are also some of the biggest contributors to the national economy which means politicians on both sides of the table handle them with gloves and tiptoe around them, based on what a concerned individual in the government told me.

Another sawmill in Shipyard, Orange Walk




















             
                                  
                    
                            A. Mendoza

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