Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1908 — Inaccessible Forests. [ARTICLE]

Inaccessible Forests.

Nearly all of the northern and eastern part of Guatemala is covered with a dense tropical forest, consisting of mahogany, different kinds of cedar, chicle and other hard woods. Along streams down which logs can be floated much of the mahogany has been cut, but as yet very little of the other woods have been marketed. This- la especially true of the departments ot Peten, Alta Verapaz and Izabal. Most of the forests still belong to the government, and the usual method of securing the timber is by concession, byi which a certain number ot trees are cut at a given price per tree, or a stipulated sum is paid for the timber or given tract It is not an easy matter to get titles to large tracts of land in Guatemala, as it is discouraged by the government These concessions are not usually granted for a longer period than five years. Sometimes it is stipulated that if a certain number of trees are cut during that time tuey must be renewed. The pine forests are limited, being in the mountainous country principally and inaccessible. Most of the lumber used comes from the united states principally from California. The for ests* of this country are generally so Inacessible that the railroad companies Import coal, because it is difficult tor them to get enough flrewobd. *