By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani, June 13, GNA-Mr Kofi Abban Bonsu, the Bono and Ahafo Regions Area Manager, Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD), Forestry Commission (FC), has encouraged stakeholders to ensure 90 per cent survival of tree seedlings planted on the Green Ghana Day.
He explained the exercise in the first year experienced poor monitoring, which resulted in a low survival rate of most tree seedlings planted, saying the second edition had much-improved monitoring resulting in 70 to 80 per cent survival level in most places with a national survival around 70 per cent.
Mr Bonsu made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, saying this year the monitoring had been enhanced because the FC was not only interested in the planting but also in ensuring effective monitoring to get the desired results.
He stated the ‘Green Ghana’ project was enhancing the work of TIDD, indicating ”it might not be now but within 10 to 15 years the trees planted would have been ready to be cut for use because they would serve as a replacement to the timber in the forest and that would release the pressure on the forest reserves.”
Mr Bonsu said the Forestry Services Division and TIDD were ensuring a drastic reduction of illegal lumbering in the region by strengthening their operations and checkpoints with the available resources to help complement the tree seedlings planting exercise.
GNA