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Involve residents in forest
conservation, says MPs
Story by NJERI RUGENE
Publication Date: 05/28/2004
Daily Nation
MPs asked the Government to encourage community participation in
forest conservation.
The lawmakers were unanimous that communities living near forests
were more reliable in forest conservation than even some of its
officers who were known to encourage destruction of the resource.
Contributing to debate on the Forest Bill whose debate began on
Wednesday, the MPs also asked the Government to allow the /shamba/
system, saying it was beneficial to both communities and
conservation.
Mr Simeon Lesirma (Samburu West, Kanu) asked the Environment
ministry to address the issue of indegenous trees, which had been
allowed to overgrow, ending up in destruction.
The MP singled out pine trees along the Maralal/Baragoi which had
been allowed to grow to 50 years while their recommended age is 24
years.
The trees, Mr Lesirma said, were now rotting and had become a
danger to motorists and to the locals.
The MP proposed that the Kenya Wildlife Society and the Forest
Department worke out a joint programme for the control of wild
animals. This, Mr lesirma said, would ensure the problem of human
and wildlife conflict is addressed, as well bring to an end
harassment of the animals.
Mr Joseph Lagat (Eldoret East, Kanu) defended the need for
communities to be given a free hand to conserve forests, saying
those living near forests had suffered at thehands of the
Government over the years.
Mr Lagat complained that small scale saw millers had been
completely ignored by the Government and banned from forests,
while big manufacturers such as Webuye's Pan Paper, and Raiply was
allowed to continue logging and destroying forests.
The MP expressed disappointment that Narc had continued with the
oppression meted against small scale saw millers by the previous
regime.
He singled out Elgeyo Saw Millers in Eldoret, which, he said, was
shut down for political reasons.
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