Abomoso (E/R), Feb. 21, GNA- The Kwahu South District Manager of the Forest Service Commission, Mr Joseph Osei, has called on members of the Forest Reserve Management Team to evolve pragmatic measures to reverse the trend of deforestation and land degradation in the country. He said one of the greatest challenges facing the forest sector was how to ensure that the forest and wild life resources were sustained and managed to alleviate poverty in the rural communities.
Mr Osei made the call at the inauguration of a 60-member Asukawkaw Forest Reserve Management Team at Abomoso in the East Akim District on Thursday.
He said the establishment of the forest and wild life policy ten years ago was a collaborative effort between forest management and stakeholders to enhance management and the development of the forest and wild life resources towards equitable distribution of benefits. The Manager advised members of the Team who are made up chiefs, Assembly members, representatives of the ten communities around the forest reserve and the district forestry staff to present the state of the forest resources, its utilization and zoning of the forest into re-organized management categories.
The Deputy District Forest Manager, Mr Nsiah Bempah, said the 12,220 hectares Asukawkaw Forest Reserve had been released to Sunstex Company Limited and Log and Lumber Limited (LLL), both timber companies in Kumasi, under the Timber Utilization Contract (TUC) to harvest timber products for a twenty-year period.
He urged members of the Management Team to co-operate with the two timber companies to ensure that only matured timber trees are harvested, pay appropriate royalties and contribute into the Forest Improvement Fund (FIF) towards the replanting of timber trees to replenish the forest reserve.
Mr Bempah reminded them that chainsaw operations had been banned under Act 547 and urged them to arrest any chainsaw operator who would enter the forest reserve for prosecution.
The Chief of Abomoso, Osabarima Ameyaw II, urged the Forestry Commission and the Stool Lands Administration to give communities their fair share of royalties accrued from the forest reserve to be used towards the development of the communities.
