Sunyani, (B/A), Nov.13, GNA - The Brong-Ahafo Regional Forest Forum of the Forest Service Division will embark on tree planting exercises throughout the region to promote forest resources. The project would be undertaken in partnership with the National Youth Employment Programme and other corporate bodies from 2008 to 2011. The project, approved at the National Forest Workshop held recently in Accra was to help secure the future of the nation's forest resources. Mr Attah Yeboah, Secretary of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Forest Forum, disclosed this on Wednesday at a one-day sanitization workshop in Sunyani for members of the forum and the various stakeholders in the forest sector.

The workshop was aimed at putting up measures towards the sustainability and proper management of forest resources in view of the impending harmattan season. It was attended by representatives of the Ghana Education Service, police, Ghana National Fire Service, churches, traditional authorities and municipal and district assemblies in the region. Mr Yeboah said the project would help to create forests and repair lost ones in the region and that the Department for International Development had through the government of Ghana provided about 28,000 Ghana cedis to the forum to ensure the success of the project and other activities. He stated that besides the tree planting project, the forum would soon begin a radio discussion and campaigning in the communities to educate the people on the need to protect the forests. The Regional Secretary appealed for support from the Municipal and District Chief Executives towards the success of their activities before, during and after the harmattan season. Mr Daniel Appiah-Baffo, Sunyani Municipal Manager of the Forest Service Division, said the activities of illegal chainsaw operators was alarming and that they provided much of the domestic supply of timber.

"Despite the evolving legislative framework for timber production and export, the forest sector in Ghana is bedevilled with a very high incidence of illegality," he said. Mr Appiah-Baffo said a study conducted in 1999 indicated that out of the total 3.7 million timber harvested, 1.7 million, representing 46 per cent was provided through the activities of the illegal chainsaw operators. He noted with concern that legislations, regulations and codes of practice put in place to control harvesting and protect the forest resources had either not been inadequate or properly enforced. The Municipal Manager called for the restructuring and enforcement of the law to help solve the problem. 13 Nov. 08