CoastEco Timber - Their Story

 

The mighty Chagres River has been a source of life for the Panamanian people for thousands of years. When it was dammed 100 years ago, it brought 2 worlds together, the Atlantic and the Pacific and created Lake Gatun.

 

After successfully logging a concession in Lake Gatun, Coast Eco Timber was presented with the opportunity to work with the 14 comarcas of the Kuna Madugandi Tribe. Lake Bayano was created in 1979 to supply water power to a hydroelectric plant; during the process, a 353 km² jungle of hardwoods was flooded. Recovering trees that would otherwise be lost decreases the need to log resources on land, allows for safer waterways for the tribes not to mention bringing a unique well preserved eco hardwood into the market place for those interested in green product.

 

Through innovative ideas and sustainable practices, Coast Eco Timber brings people closer to nature by harvesting selectively the “lost forests of Panama”. These trees, written off many years ago to create the world’s largest man-made lakes, Coast Eco Timber has found these exquisite hardwood logs and are carefully salvaging them to have their beauty rediscovered.

 

"As we highly respect the surrounding environment, we utilize eco-friendly technology to harvest the logs, including submersible hydraulic chainsaws. Our extraction point has repurposed shipping containers for office space, sawdust compostable toilets, solar panels and our barges are made from recycled propane tanks. Each salvaged piece brought back from the waterbed has a story and character of its own."