By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Sekyere Krobo (W/R), Nov. 2, GNA – Nana Kwaw Badu II, Chief of Sekyere Krobo, has called on the government and the Forestry Commission to review the personnel responsible for protecting the Subri River Forest Reserve, citing alleged familiarity and collusion between some forest guards and illegal chainsaw operators.
He said the continued destruction of trees within the reserve, despite the presence of forest guards, raised concerns about the effectiveness of the existing protection arrangements.
Nana Badu II, expressed concern that some guards had become too familiar with individuals involved in illegal tree felling, creating opportunities for unauthorised activities to take place.
He alleged that some guards connived with chainsaw operators to fell trees, thereby undermining efforts to protect the reserve and restore degraded portions of the forest and urged the Forestry Commission to consider changes in the personnel deployed to manage the reserve.
He also called for proper measures to prevent prolonged familiarity between guards and illegal operators.
The chief said protecting the forest required a committed and accountable security arrangement capable of detecting and preventing illegal activities rather than merely maintaining a presence within the reserve.
On the other hand, the Chief argued for support for women farmers participating in the ongoing reforestation programme, saying they should be adequately resourced or financially incentivised to take responsibility for nurturing and protecting every tree planted.
He observed that planting trees alone would not guarantee the restoration of the forest unless adequate attention was given to their maintenance and survival.
The women farmers, he said, could become important partners in forest protection if they received the necessary tools, resources and financial support to sustain their involvement.
Nana Badu II made the appeal at the launch of a five-year reforestation programme by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) in partnership with the Forestry Commission at Sekyere Krobo.
The programme sought to plant 30,000 trees to restore 50 hectares of degraded land within the reserve.
The Subri River Forest Reserve, located in the Wassa East District of the Western Region, is one of Ghana’s most significant forest ecosystems and the largest forest reserve in the country’s High Forest Zone.
The reserve was gazetted in 1950 and covers approximately 58,793 hectares.
It is recognised for its rich biodiversity, supporting more than 200 tree species of ecological and economic importance.
The forest also plays an important role in biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, climate regulation and the sustenance of livelihoods in surrounding communities.
Its ecological importance has earned portions of the reserve recognition as Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas, where conservation priorities are particularly high.
However, decades of timber extraction, illegal logging, farming and other human activities have placed increasing pressure on the forest.
Research on the reserve indicates that logging activities have been a significant source of forest disturbance since 1978, with the selective harvesting of valuable timber species affecting the composition and regeneration of the forest.
Illegal chainsaw operations and illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, remained among the major threats to the reserve.
The activities have contributed to the loss of forest cover, degradation of land and destruction of habitats, threatening the ecological functions of the forest.
In March 2025, a rapid response team from the Takoradi Forest District conducted an operation against illegal mining activities in the reserve, where an excavator was seized following the destruction of approximately 0.6 hectares of forest cover.
More recently, on October 17, 2026, an attempted invasion of portions of the reserve by armed illegal mining operators highlighted the security challenges confronting forest authorities.
The Forestry Commission had also expressed concern about illegal mining, farming and logging activities, which continued to undermine forest conservation and restoration efforts.
The latest reforestation initiative by MIIF and the Forestry Commission was expected to contribute to reversing some of the degradation through tree planting, maintenance and community participation.
The success of the intervention, however, would depend on effective monitoring, sustained maintenance and the protection of the planted trees from further destruction.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter Mildred Siabi-Mensah