Forestry Commission takes steps to safeguard reserves

By Philip Tengzu, GNA

Wa, (UWR), Jan. 10, GNA - Mr Francis Brobbey, the Lawra Forest District Manager of the Forestry Commission has said the commission had put in place measures to safeguard the forest reserves and off-reserves in the district from being destroyed by fire.

"We are in the harmattan season, a lot of measures have been put in place to prevent or minimise the occurrence of bush fire within the district", he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on Thursday.

The Lawra Forest District comprised nine Municipalities and Districts in the region except the Sissala West District and Sissala East Municipality.

Mr Brobbey indicated that the commission had constructed fire rides and carried out controlled burning around the plantations to guide them against bush fire.

He said the commission was carrying out public education at the community level to enable the people to understand the dangers of bush fire, and was also using the forest guards and fire volunteers to protect the forests from activities of hunters.

"Fire continues to be a great threat to forest management in the district and we urge all to be involved and to see fire as a threat. Fire is not bad, but it depends on how it is managed or used", he stated.

The Forest Manager indicated that government was investing the taxpayer's money into tree planting hence, the need for collective action to protect those plantations in order for government investment not to go waste.

He said government engaged 624 youth under the Youth in Afforestation Programme, who had planted trees to cover over 521 hectors of land in 2018 and 2019.

Mr Brobbey said the commission was implementing the Sustainable Land and Water Management project, which included tree planting and carrying out other tree planting activities in the district.

He cited the Nandom District and Lawra Municipality, where some communities had decided not to burn the bush and urged other communities to emulate to help protect the environment from eminent destruction.

He said bushfire did not only destroy trees, but also farms and animals, and called on all to support the commission to protect the environment.

"What can change things is the change of attitude, until we change our attitude and our way of doing things, we will not go anywhere. Let us do things differently this time round so that we can achieve the desired results", he explained.

GNA

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