Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests Beatrice Mbula has called for fast-tracking of the renewal of Participatory Management plans for the Community Forest Association (CFA) in a bid to boost forest conservation efforts.
Ms. Mbula said that forest stations across the country needed to be managed according to a Participatory Management Plan, for sustainable conservation.
Speaking when she presided over the signing of five Plans in Nakuru County for Menengai, Bahati, Kiptunga, Logoman and Dundori CFAs, Mbula noted that the Forest stations without plans including Molo, Likia, Barget, Saino and Mariashoni would be established.
“It is a legal requirement that every forest be run with the plans as they layout the obligations of the CFA with the rights of the users as well as the KFS’ obligations. Issues like conflict resolution and when we can terminate the agreement are well spelt out in the plans. The community has also proposed activities they hope to undertake including of food crops alongside tree planting for food security while ensuring the survival of trees is high,” said the Conservator.
The Participatory Plans bind the communities living around the forests to work towards conserving the forests while benefitting from ecotourism, beekeeping, herbal medicine harvesting, firewood, and crop cultivation among others.
“Sustainable management will help the country avert climate change effects, as more rains will be absorbed by the forests and gradually released into our rivers. Climate change has necessitated the quest for more tree planting, so we must talk less and do more to ensure the achievement of 15 billion trees by 2032,” added Mbula, noting that the CFAs have been key in tree seedling production.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Director for Conservation Jackson Kiplagat urged the CFAs to implement the plans to the letter for economic empowerment.
“Njoro river and surrounding catchment areas are important for the survival of various ecosystems including the wildlife at Nakuru National Park and we hope to restore about 9500 ha of land including private farms, for sustainable management,” added Kiplagat
County Forest Conservator Mbatha Masibo said re-afforestation will ensure a healthier environment and improved livelihoods noting that 95 percent of what is to be planted would be outside the forest land. She called on farmers to take up tree planting on their lands to cover-up for the deficit.
Menengai CFA Chairperson Titus Mugi noted that the 7, 000ha forest had been strategically positioned for ecotourism in Nakuru County noting that it boasted as a natural resource with 90 square Kilometers of a crater being the 2nd largest in Africa, with Mau Caves full with millions of bats.
“This has been an open forest for so long now and we look forward to an electric conservative fence of about 55km to be completed in three months, through the partnership with Green Zones,” Mugi said.
He called on stakeholders to come up with hostel facilities to accommodate the numerous visitors to the crater, adding that the forest also served the academia as they researched on herbal medicines.
By Anne Sabuni
