ENVIROMENTAL RISKS ASSESSMENT OF RAW LOGS IMPORTATION INTO MEXICO

Abstract

There is great world-wide activity in wood products, including the import and export of raw logs. The logs being moved may be from species native of the exporting country or they may be exotic species grown in plantations in the exporting country. Most North American countries have exported few raw logs to date, but forest resource area has been reduced, and at the same time, raw logs imports have been increased. Wood chips are being imported also. The biological and ecological risks of unpro-cessed log importations have been reviewed in several recent documents. This concern is due to the high probability of importing unwanted insects and diseases along with the wood. Present technology (i. e., debarking, fumigation, pesticide applications, visual examination) is unable to eliminate potential infesting species from the logs . Heat treatment, at point of origin, for all logs regardless of country source is a potentially effective treatment (71°C for 75 minutes) but has considerable resistance to its application to date. Inadequate regulations will not provide the proper protection to importing countries against insects and diseases. It is prudent for México, and any other country considering the importation of unprocessed wood, to defer such importation until completely adequate and documented procedures have been used at point of origin.