Forests
Chief Conservators of Forests have been directed to ensure that established rules and regulations on grazing and grass harvesting in public forests are implemented to the letter.
Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya lamented that cases of illegal grazing in public forests are on the rise across the country, a trend she noted undermines the progress the government is making towards achieving the 15 billion national tree growing target.
Tuya said to ensure that only sustainable participatory forest management activities are undertaken in gazetted forests including grazing, the Ministry shall only engage with forest adjacent communities that are members of duly registered Community Forest Associations.
“On matters of forest user rights, the Ministry shall engage with duly registered Community Forest Associations through negotiated Participatory Forest Management Plans and Forest Management Agreements as stipulated in the law,” stated Tuya.
In a press statement sent to newsrooms, the CS stated her Ministry in collaboration with partners is deploying technology to enhance forest surveillance, hasten delineation of boundaries, as well as expanding the fencing programme to cover all gazetted public forests
She said the government is focused on safeguarding the integrity of the country’s forest as it works towards enhancing the tree cover, adding that the recent recruitment and deployment of 2,700 forest rangers who included 100 cadets and 468 forest rangers has significantly reduced forest related crimes.
“Kenya’s public forests are critical to the goal of raising our country’s tree cover to 30 percent by 2032 as envisioned in the 10-year National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy,” said Tuya. The CS added that the strategy is the anchor framework for the 15 billion national tree growing programme that focuses on amplifying the country’s nature-based solution interventions to combat the climate change crisis.
“The Ministry recognises the immense public support for our environmental conservation efforts and lauds the renewed vigor by Kenyans toward tree growing countrywide,” commented Tuya.
The Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016) makes provision for the participation of local communities in the management of the country’s gazetted forests while section (490 (2) (d) of the Act confers certain user rights to forest adjacent communities including controlled grass harvesting and grazing.
