Nana Poku Bosompem, Nkawie District Manager of Forest Services Division (FSD), Forestry Commission, has appealed to forest fringe communities to stop the plundering of forest and its resources.

He said they needed to take responsibility and act boldly to expose those engaged in illegal timber activities.

It was in everybody’s interest, he said, that the reserves and the natural vegetative cover were protected and maintained.

He was addressing a stakeholders’ meeting at Nkawie in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District.

Representatives of the District Assembly, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Judicial Service, the Police, Immigration Service, Fire Service and timber companies attended the meeting.

Nana Bosompem said in addition to paying royalties to the District Assemblies and the stools, the timber companies also enter into social responsibility agreements with the communities, from which they derive some benefits.

That is why the communities should show ownership of the reserves and prevent its degradation, he explained.