Four million cubic metres of lumber cut annually

Although the country's annual allowable timber to be cut is one million cubic metres, sawmills are able to meet their demand of four million cubic metres through the assistance of illegal chainsaw operators.

Mr Joseph Boakye, Assistant Regional Forestry Manager for Brong Ahafo, said this was happening in spite of the adoption of measures to ensure that loggers operated within the annual allowable cut for the sustainable management of the forests.

"If this trend is allowed to continue, the country will be forced to import some of its wood needs in the near future," he said. Mr Boakye was speaking at a two-day workshop to discuss a draft management plan for the Subim, Ayum, Bonsambepo and the Abonyire forest reserves in the Asunafo District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

The management plan is to ensure that communities living around reserves collaborated with the Forestry Services Division (FSD) to manage the forests for the benefit of both the fringe communities and the country.

Mr Boakye urged people living around the country's forest reserves to consider it as their duty to help check the activities of illegal chainsaw operators. ''All the 13 districts in the Brong Ahafo Region could boast of forests in the past, but now it is only the Asunafo and Asutifi districts that remained the hope of the region in terms of forestry potentials''.

"The proper management of the reserves with the collaboration of the fringe communities would encourage eco-tourism and provide employment for the people." Mr Kwakye Ameyaw, Brong Ahafo Regional Forestry Manager, stressed that forest management was a shared responsibility that required assistance from chiefs, assemblymen, unit committees and the people.

Mr Anthony Saaniano, Asunafo District Forest Manager, said a timber taskforce had been formed with the collaboration of the various security agencies to curb illegal chain sawing in the area.