National Guard troops and personnel from the federal environmental protection agency Profepa have discovered illegal logging operations within the boundaries of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

Profepa said in a statement that it detected over 200 cedar, oak and sacred fir trees cut down by loggers without permission from the Ministry of the Environment in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, amounting to 142 cubic meters of timber.

“We also detected tree stumps cut with chainsaws without the mark of the manager in charge, [which is] a requirement in the authorization of resource use in order to identify the trees that can be extracted under planned forest management,” the agency said.

The agents found 176 stumps of white cedar, 17 of oak and 12 of sacred fir that were taken without authorization. They also found 72 cedar posts cut with a chainsaw.

Authorities secured the area in an effort to prevent further illegal logging.

Those responsible could face fines ranging from 8,688-1,737,600 pesos (US $398-$79,500) and be required to carry out reforestation actions in the area affected by the illegal logging.

Source: Milenio (sp)