Forest Industry Investors in Elgeyo Marakwet County have urged for opening of forest plantations to allow for harvesting of mature and over -mature forest resources. This was during an awareness workshop on disposal of forest plantation materials, in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, conducted by KFS as is required by law.
The investors decried the effects of the logging moratorium noting that over-mature plantation trees were going to waste through decomposition and wind falls.
Forest plantation establishment is entrenched in the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016 that provides that all plantation forests in a public forest shall be managed in a sustainable manner for the production of wood and other forest products and services for commercial purposes
The stakeholders noted that plantation forests are planted by the Kenya Forest Service for commercial purposes, thefore the Service should not be stopped from harvesting the same trees to raise revenue. They also lauded multiple forest plantation outcomes for transforming the lives of resource adjacent communities, improving their livelihood and socioeconomic status.
The meeting was chaired by the Senior Forester State Department for Forestry- MECCF, Mr. Fred Namusende, and was hosted by KFS County Forest Conservator Mr. Paul Koech, others present were senior MECCF and KFS officials.
