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The Parliamentary Subcommittee on Lands and Forests condemned the illegal illegal logging and harvesting of rosewood in Builsa South District, in the Far East region and in others. regions of the country.
He noted again that rangers had become vulnerable to repeated attacks and attacks by illegal chainsaw operators throughout the country.
The Committee therefore recommended that the perpetrators of illegal logging of rosewood be sentenced and sanctioned in accordance with the Regulation (41) of the 2017 Timber Resources Management and Licensing Regulations (L.I 2254).
He also called for immediate measures to deal with the dangers of the work of life-threatening foresters, by amending existing legislation to allow forest rangers to possess weapons in the forest. exercise of their functions.
These are some of the observations contained in the report of the Lands and Forests Committee, signed by its chairman, Mr. Francis Manu-Adabor.
President directs
The president ordered the committee to conduct an investigation into the illegal killing and harvesting of rosewood and the destruction of the environment in Builsa South District and to make recommendations to the House.
This directive followed a statement by Dr. Clement A. Apaak, MP for Builsa South at the National Democratic Congress (NDC), calling the attention of the House on the illegal killing of rosewood in the savanna, especially in Builsa. South and its effects on the environment.
In order to provide detailed and concise information on the illegal killing of rosewood in the southern Builsa district, the committee went on an investigation mission to Fumbisi and the surrounding area, in the District of Builsa South, in order to know the facts.
During the visit, the committee exchanged views with key stakeholders, including the Regional Coordinating Council, the Regional Forestry Commission Regional Office, the District Chief and Technical Staff of the Assembly, the District Forestry Officer and some traditional leaders of the region.
Environmental effect
The report noted that the Upper East region was the least endowed in terms of forest cover and indicated that continued use of rosewood in the region would have serious environmental consequences and deprive the region of its natural resources.
"The quality of the soil will be degraded and will eventually affect the production of agricultural products.Many animals that depend on the forest for their livelihood are also at a disadvantage.Change in climate will become inevitable, resulting in adverse weather conditions that could be characterized by extreme heat. or too much rainfall, "he said.
The committee said that the concentration of illegal logging in the area over the past two years, which previously occurred only on reserves, was also beginning to occur on reserves.
This, he said, is due to the fact that the rosewood population on the reserves has decreased and is no longer economically viable.
He therefore called on all stakeholders, including civil society, the indigenous people of the southern district of Builsa and the security forces, to make a concerted effort to win the fight against the devastating deforestation activity.
Other source of income
According to the report, interactions with some of the community leaders revealed that the lack of alternative sources of income within forest communities was a major cause of illegality.
He noted that communities in forest areas depended on the forest for their daily needs, including shelter, food and firewood for cooking, and therefore could not resist the temptation to collude with forests. unlawful loggers for monetary gain because of the economic hardship in which they found themselves.
"The committee was also informed that some permits had been issued in 2017 to recover fallen trunks to prevent community members from using them as charcoal," he said.
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