By P. Lincoln Nyanrue, Jr., elincoln1986@gmail.com
The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) is seeking ways and means and holding consultative conference to carve a forest management and sustainability roadmap for the Sapo National Park. The national government, FDA and partners are holding three days of Sapo National Park Multi-stakeholders conference in Greenville, Sinoe County.
The conference is been held under the theme: “Promoting Sustainable Management of Sapo National Park for Current and Future Generation.” The conference is taking place in the Greenville City Hall and brought together representatives communities in River Gee, Grand Gedeh and host Sinoe Counties.
Local authorities, lawmakers, ministers of justice and internal affairs and others in attendance are members of the civil society and non-governmental organizations, security apparatus and the public.
The Managing Director of FDA, Darlington Tugbeh, said the aim of the event is for national and local stakeholders to work together to develop and implement a roadmap to strengthen conservation and effective management of Sapo National Park.
He this strategy will be a long-term survival of the park’s important ecosystem and biodiversity and the benefit of adjacent communities. He said the government and FDA anticipate to find an agreeable date when all illegal occupants to be removed from the park.
According to him, the process leading to removing illegal occupants is to gain full consensus from all participants. This will ensure their roles and responsibilities for the departure of the illegal occupants in a peaceful and coordinated fashion.
Tugbeh said the conference will take into consideration concerns of the communities regarding the management of the park and their views about how they can support the government’s mandate for the Sapo National Park.
Meanwhile, at the end of the workshop, participants will produce a resolution that will include communities working with FDA in the protection of the park and the FDA will creates a sense of ownership among communities to ensure their full support.
The conference also seeks to create a strong commitment from donors, like the “Wide Life Chimpanzee and Fauna and Flora International (FFI)”.
However, some of the participants remarked that the legislature should increase FDA budgetary allotment so that it provides micro loan to people who will be evacuated from the forest for sustainability.
According to them, the demarcation drawn in 1983 during former president Samuel Doe regime should remain so that they can be able to carry out farming and other agriculture activities. They claim that to their utmost surprise, FDA few years ago created another demarcation that does enable them to farm.
The community members then stressed the maltreatment and harassment they get from FDA rangers caused few of the occupants to enter non-reserve forest.
They used the opportunity to call on central government to put in place mechanisms for peaceful co-existence between them and the security apparatus in the area.
The Sapo National Park which is located between Grand Gedeh, River Gee and Sinoe counties covers about 75-80% landmass and is the second largest park in West Africa, with Tai National Park in Ivory Coast coming first.
Over one hundred persons are attending the conference.
