With the establishment of the Galapagos National Park in 1964, restrictions on the exploitation of natural resources in the Galapagos, such as wood began to be considered. The local population has been able to, largely, adapt to these changes, but control is still needed.

"	A tree can not only be used for wood, all the environmental services that trees provide to maintain the balance of ecosystems, are also considered."

Today, on the Galapagos Islands, there are 11 native timber species, but felling, extracting, and transporting them has been strictly prohibited since 1995.

A tree can not only be used for wood, all the environmental services that trees provide to maintain the balance of ecosystems, are also considered.

Only timber located on private property can be exploited. This restriction is necessary to ensure the integrity of the ecosystems of protected areas.

Extraction and transportation of wood in the Galapagos

In recent years there has been great variability in logging on Santa Cruz, and each species has its own explanation.

The avocado tree has been introduced and is an invasive species, and its wood is useful and durable. It is relatively accessible, reason for which the local population has considered it as a preferred wood resource. The reduction in its extraction is simply because there is less, good news for the Galapagos ecosystems.

The cedrela is an introduced species in Galapagos, but it is a highly valued endangered species on mainland Ecuador. In January 2007, the Ministry of the Environment approved Agreement 167, whose Article 1 declares:

"To establish in the whole territory of mainland Ecuador, the medium-term closed season for mahogany Swietenia macrophylla and cedar Cedrela odorata species meaning the ban on felling of trees of these species for a period of two years."

Unfortunately, this Agreement did not consider the special conditions in the Galapagos, so there was the paradoxical situation of not being able to extract an introduced invasive plant. Since January 2009, once the closed season ended, cedrela is being extracted again in the Galapagos, under the supervision of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park, reason for which the extraction figures for 2009 will be significantly higher.

"Cascarilla" is also invasive, and is the most prevalent on Santa Cruz. The increase in its extraction starting in 2006 was partly due to the closed season for cedrela, and in part to the increase in large infrastructure projects, like the construction of the Olswaldo Guayasamín Public School. The trees are thinner than other timber species, so its use is different. It is estimated that there are so many "cascarilla" trees, that their extraction may last at least another 15 years.

Bay leaf, although an invasive introduced species, is not as widespread, nor so much in demand, reason for which the extraction figures remain low.

Wood and human development in the Galapagos

	The way we value natural assets in populated areas shows the respect we have for nature as a whole.

As the population increases in the Galapagos, ambitions for public infrastructure become bigger.

The construction of roads, docks, or parking places for vehicles often involves an ecological impact, and sometimes spreads to areas of the National Park, particularly to visitor sites adjacent to towns.

However, the same ecological considerations and conservation principles that apply to protected natural areas are not always reflected in the development of areas for human use.

	At the Santa Rosa control point vehicles are checked to ensure that they are not transporting banned materials.

Wood is often at the forefront of expansion, and remains a controversial resource in the Galapagos.

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park is the institution responsible for monitoring timber exploitation in protected areas. It does so through the issuance of operating permits and with periodic inspections and monitoring of the extraction areas.

Harvesting timber from introduced trees

Species such as: cedrela, "cascarilla", "Fernán Sánchez" (Triplaris cumingiana), guava, avocado, "guabo", "madero negro" (Gliricidia sepium), "giant poró", "porotillo", and mate (gourd), are commercial species, which can be extracted, only with the previous authorization of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park for their transportation.

	Cedrela can be extracted only as part of the Plan for the Control and Eradication of Invasive Species in areas of the Galapagos National Park.

Since 2009, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park issues permits for the removal of 15 trees per person per day of some species such as cedrela and "cascarilla", as part of the Plan for the Control and Eradication of Invasive Species in areas of the Galapagos National Park.

The process includes training for sawmill personnel and carpenters regarding the correct and complete felling of an introduced tree, to prevent further sprouting.

Logging on Santa Cruz takes place in the "El Chato" area, between April and September, because during these months the female giant tortoises go south, to the coast, to nest, and it is easier to ensure that logging does not pose a threat to these animals. It also avoids the cedrela from having enough time to flower and reproduce.

As compensation for training and free extraction of a usable species, later planting of "matazarno" (Lignum vitae) or other native or endemic plants from the nursery of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park is required.

This extraction program is not indefinite. It will last until an effective control of the extracted species has been achieved.

Forest inventory and wood resource Management Plan

In 2009, the development of a Harvesting Plan for three timber species: cedrela, "cascarilla", and "matazarno" on Santa Cruz Island is being carried out jointly by the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and the Polytechnic School of Chimborazo to provide a technical procedure offering users of timber resources a procedure and basic rules for the correct extraction of these invasive species from areas of the Galapagos National Park.

"	The forest inventory will result in a Management Plan, where forestry production will be planned and organized according to the economic laws, without harming the biological laws."

This research includes conducting a Forest Inventory of these species, leading to a Management Plan, where forestry production will be planned and organized under economic laws, and not to the detriment of biological laws.

It is a purely ecological approach, which includes human development as a key factor for successful management.

By having a Harvesting Plan, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park can control the approximate amount of timber in the forest according to the rate of utilization, allowing more accurate decisions regarding eradication and control to be made.

Thus, the amount of wood allowed for each user, the extraction site, and the logging season are all regulated, always under the supervision of the park rangers through inspection visits before, during, and after harvesting.