Ardan International Group, S.A. supplies increasingly rare "rediscovered" tropical hardwoods to the global market. These "rediscovered" tropical hardwoods are extracted from submerged tropical hardwood forests that were flooded following the construction of the Panama Canal and the creation of Lake Gatun.

In 1914, after ten years and a cost of $352 million dollars, the United States' effort to build the Panama Canal was complete. At that time Lake Gatun was created when engineers working on the Panama Canal constructed a dam to block the Chagres River's outflow. The dam altered the river flow causing water to rise in the Chagres River valley. The subsequent flooding submerged vast expanses of tropical rainforest and created the largest lake in Panama, Lake Gatun. As a result, Lake Gatun is 423 square kilometers in area, the majority of which is submerged tropical jungle.

The Canal and the associated area (Canal Zone) remained under the control of the United States government from 1914 until Octover 1st, 1979, which was the effective date of the Panama Canal Treaty. On that date the Panama Canal Commission became the U.S. Government agency responsible for managing, operating, maintaining and improving the Canal through December 31, 1999, at which time the Canal was transferred to the Panamanian government.

Partially Squared Logs are Available for Purchase

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