The pinabete pine tree is one of the most threatened tree species in Central America. The trees needs specific conditions to grow, between 8,000 and 12,500 feet with temperatures between 35 and 50 degrees - and only 12 percent of the pinabete tree’s seeds germinate.
Every December, the pinabete is cut down for Christmas celebrations and the indiscriminate felling of the pine tree is sending it to the edge of extinction, according to a report on mongabay.com
The report states: "In 1979, pinabetes occupied an area of 274 square miles. In 1999, that went down to 151; today, it's estimated to be only 96 square miles.A pinabete that is 6.5 feet tall can cost a lot less than a plastic tree made in China: around $15. It has been cut down so extensively, that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, has placed it in its list of species at risk of extinction."
"The destruction of pinabete trees is accelerating. And this year it broke a record: more than 130,000 trees were seized on the first eight days of December. That’s 12 times more than in 2012."
Guatemala’s National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) say that more agents are needed to ensure the survival of the pinabete.
“We require at least 1,000 more agents to monitor the forests, because when we confiscate the trees along the road, there’s nothing we can do to prevent the problem,” a spokesperson said in the report.
The pinabete pine tree must be protected to ensure it does not go extinct in the wild.
Will you join me in urging the Government of Guatemala to provide more environmental police officers to stop the cutting down and selling of wild pinabete trees?
Please sign and share the petition.
