Saving Kenya’s Forests

Category: Conservation | Date: Nov 27 2007 | By: admin

Phew. Am I glad to be posting something positive or what!

On 7 December 2007 View Finders Ltd will screen the award winning film the Queen of Trees, at the Oshwal Centre, Ring Road Westlands (opposite Nakumatt Ukay). Queen of Trees is the extraoridnary story about the African fig tree and the special relationship it has with a tiny insect partner - the fig wasp. The film is set against Africa and its wildlife. This extraordinary relationship is the basis for a complex web of dependency that supports animals from ants to elephants.

All proceeds will go to the East African Wild Life Society and Kenya Wildlife Service.

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Category: Forest loss, Hotline message | Date: Nov 26 2007 | By: admin

Sorry to be bring you more bad news.

We have received some information about the continued destruction in Rumuruti forest. Below are excerpts from part of the report:

Rumuruti Forest Reserve (6,217.8 hectares) straddles Salama and Marmanet locations, North- East of Nyhururu town, Laikipia West District. The forest extends along a large section of the Uaso Narok River, the main tributary of the Uaso Ngiro.

The forest is a dry upland forest with podocarpus occurring along the Uaso Narok River. The forest was once intact with a closed canopy comprised of the following dominant species: Juniperus procera, olea europea ssp africana, Podocarpus latifolius, Podocarpus falcatus, Warburgia salutaris, Prunus africana, Cassipourea malosana, Trichocladus ellipticus, Vepris simplicifolia, Ficus thoningii, Calodenrum capense.

On the 25 November, 2007 we walked a recce transect for approximately one hour up the East bank of the Uaso Narok river, starting not far from the old forest station, and then walked for another hour South on the West bank walking North to where we started. We recorded recently felled trees and trees in the process of being cut.

Results
The felling of large podo and cedar trees on our two-hour walk was extensive. Most of the destruction of large mature podo trees was on both banks of the Uaso Narok River from the old forest station going north. This felling was extremely recent with some trees being felled as we walked, suggesting massive demand and a complete break down in law enforcement. There were also older signs of forest destruction and the overall pattern is fairly typical, with Olive trees targeted initially (for charcoal), then cedar and podo. Not a single mature Olive tree was seen during our survey.

Our informants told us that timber from the podo trees is being sold locally in Rumuruti town, mostly for furniture making. Apparently one podo tree cut and split will be sold for Ksh 1,000/=. The cedar trees are being cut up for basic fence posts and for sale as timber.

Species being destroyed
West bank of Uaso Narok River
• Juniperus procera (cedar) 19 mature trees cut down
• Podocarpus falcatus (podo) none seen.

East bank of Uaso Narok River
• Juniperus procera (cedar) 41 mature trees cut down
• Podocarpus falcatus (podo) 22 mature trees cut down
• Podocarpus falcatus 3 in the process of being cut.

Other species damaged
• Prunus africana - we noticed many large stumps of trees cut in the last 5-10 years. Very few standing trees seen.
• Olea europea ssp africana - tremendous damage to the olive population. All the stumps seen were in large areas all along the river. The stumps were at least 3-4 ft in diameter. These trees were all burnt to make charcoal.
• Warburgia salutaris - There were several very large stumps of Warburgia cut several years ago. We recorded very few young trees coming up. No mature trees seen.

Conclusion
The forest is a critical catchment of the Uaso Narok River, on which many of the residents of West Laikipia District and onto Samburu District depend. At the current rate of the felling, there will be no mature trees standing in a year’s time. This forest has a chance to regenerate if the destruction can be stopped immediately. There are many saplings of the key species growing; some of them are at least 7-10 ft tall.

The Rumuruti Forest Association was set up with the help of the Kenya Forests Working Group in 2001. This is comprised of some very dedicated members who live around the forest reserve. However they are unable to do anything about the current level of destruction as they do not have the capacity or resources to enforce the forest, which they are dedicated to protecting.

Suggested action
Law enforcement is needed immediately to stop any further illegal logging.

A perimeter electric fence would help protect what remains of the forest, and would reduce human elephant conflict, a major source of grievance among the people surrounding the forest.

We are putting this up for information. Follow up action is being taken.

3 responses so far

Category: Hotline message | Date: Nov 26 2007 | By: admin

As part of its activities, KFWG receives and acts on reports of forest destruction sent in by members and the general public. We will be posting some of these and updating you on any action that is being taken.

Ngong forest
Ngong Forest, is an indigenous forest located right within the confines of Nairobi city. The forest is about 600 hectares.

We received this report from a member recently, reporting on destruction near IPR:

“I regularly walk through a part of the Ngong Forest along the western edge of the IPR (Institute of Primate Research) controlled area (along the road leading to Olkeri Secondary School).

Recently there has been an alarming amount of illegal tree-felling going on… slowly-slowly, a mature indigenous tree of about 8 inch dia. every two or three days.“

And:

“I’ve broadened my search in this area and am shocked at the full extent of the offtake. This is in a totally indigenous forest, and 50% of the formerly closed canopy has been opened in areas, with trees up to 12″ basal dia. removed very neatly and professionally by hand-saws. Very little evidence is left behind, other than stumps and leaves. This is clearly an organised commercial operation. At a (very) rough guess I’d say some 400 to 500 trees within a 40 hectare section of forest have been surgically removed over the past 4 to 6 months“

KFWG has already reported this destruction to the Provincial Forest Officer, Nairobi. She assures us that investigations are underway. We hope action will be taken immediately and that this destruction will stop.

We have also heard that the IPR has been taken to the site and “they seem to similarly be appalled that this type of operation has been going on undetected- especially so close to their station, but admit that they rarely patrol anywhere near this section of forest”. They “have indicated a willingness to work with the Ngong Forestry officers and local police in an attempt to stop this…“

Thanks to the person who reported this and for the further assurance that:

“I’ll report on any activity I see- good or bad, and am happy to show the area to anyone concerned.“

We need lots of cooperation to save Kenya’s forests.

We would also like to inform Friends of Oloolua forest, who had reported a dumping problem in Oloolua that the PFO Nairobi is similarly looking into this. We will keep you update on progress, especially in putting up “No dumping” signs along the forest edge to pave way for prosecution of offenders.

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Category: Community, Conservation | Date: Nov 21 2007 | By: admin

The Government of Spain through UNEP has provided financial support towards a project aimed at stopping further deforestation and promoting reforestation within and around the Maasai Mau forest.

The project named COMIFORM (Community based integrated forest resources conservation and management) will work with surrounding communities and Narok County Council, the Trustees of the forest.

The project’s activities will include community tree planting, fuel briquetting, timber production, beekeeping and goat rearing. The activities are meant to provide alternative source of livelihoods to reduce pressure on the forest. The project also aims to have a Carbon-project approved by a carbon fund, facilitate tourism development and to have a management plan for the forest in place.

It is being implemented by Kenya Forests Working Group, Green Belt Movement, Ewaso Nyiro South Development Authority, the Narok County Council, Kenya Forest Service and local Community Based Organizations.

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Category: Conservation | Date: Nov 14 2007 | By: admin

The announcement by David Mwiraria, Kenya’s Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, that the Shamba system is set to be re-introduced has re-ignited a long simmering controversy on whether the system is good or bad. The Shamba system, a method used to establish timber plantations through a form of agro-forestry in government managed forests, was banned in all forests in 2003 but is being practiced on a pilot basis in Bahati and Dundori forests in Nakuru. The pilots were meant to establish the viability of the system while tighter rules and regulations were being developed. This was one of many bans - it was banned in 1986, and reinstated in 1994.

On one hand of the debate are those who rightly contend that the system is responsible for serious loss of indigenous forest while failing to fulfill its purpose - that of raising plantations for timber. On the other hand are those who say that the failure was not of the system, but the people who were practicing it and those meant to keep it regulated.

The Shamba System was first introduced by the colonial administration to provide raw materials for the expanding timber industry and to reduce pressure on neighboring natural forests. Under the system, farmers grow both trees and food crops on small plots. They tend the trees and harvest crops until the trees become established. In theory everyone benefits, the Kenya Forests Service (formerly Forest Department) establishes plantations at minimal costs and farmers harvest food from the same land for a number of years.

The Shamba system is allowed under the Forests Act 2005 and is recognized as one way of raising plantations. The proponents of the system support the “use it or lose it” way of doing things where forests are concerned. They say that forests were lost because they were cut off from the people. One way of ensuring that people benefit from forests is to allow systems such as this, which benefit both the government and farmers.

On the other hand, evidence that the system took a heavy toll on forests cannot be ignored. As a result of corruption and mismanagement, the system did not establish plantations with many areas having planting backlogs. It instead contributed to the destruction of neighboring natural forests.

The Kenya Forest Service is preparing new regulations for the system. Whether this will help in ensuring that the system is only used to establish plantations away from natural forests will have to be seen. The controversy will certainly not go away.

Is the Shamba system good or bad? This seems like a case where a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will not do.

3 responses so far

Category: Conservation | Date: Nov 09 2007 | By: admin

Following up on the Maasai Mau post below, one of Kenya’s daily, the East African Standard reports that over 10,000 people evicted from the forest are moving back. The paper says, “President Kibaki during one of his campaign tours in the Rift Valley and, ostensibly after being ‘prevailed’ upon by local leaders, directed the Mau forest evictees be allowed to return”. The paper then rightly questions the commitment to conservation of this forest, in view of this latest development. Clearly the impact the return of this number of people will have on the forest will be extensive.

The government had promised to compensate holders of genuine title deeds that were affected by the evictions by finding them alternative land. A task force was even set up and the people affected registered. But nothing, as far as we know, has happened. We know that settlement of squatters was budgeted for by government this year - Kshs 1.3 billion for squatters and internally displaced persons - but we are not sure whether this included the Maasai Mau evictees.

Tomorrow, Saturday 10 November 2007, the Party of National Unity (PNU) - the platform through which the President is seeking re-election - will be launching its manifesto. It will be interesting to see what the party is promising to do as far as forests or natural resources are concerned.

We will keep you updated on the situation as well as other developments in the area including efforts to remedy this situation.

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Category: Conservation | Date: Nov 09 2007 | By: admin

It’s an election year in Kenya, and everywhere you look the elections are being discussed. It’s what we have been eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kenyans are somewhat obsessed with politics – but I hear this is a good thing; other Africans are said to envy the way Kenyans are able to and do participate in election debate.

But what’s that got to do with forests you ask? Well everything actually. First, in past decades forests were used as a tool to woo and reward voters; large areas of forests were lost in this way. Second, forests have not been seen as an important issue and deciding factor during elections and are routinely treated as “Any Other Business”. In a country that has less than 2 percent of its land under forests, whose economy is largely dependent on these same forests (the tourism, agriculture, water and energy sector draw heavily from services offered by forests) and which is steadily losing indigenous forests each year, you would think the situation would be different.

It is not.

Realizing that this trend will continue and needing to take advantage of the election year, civil society organizations and individuals have come together under the Kenya Forests Working Group to run a campaign that will give prominence to forest issues in political circles. The Misitu Pia! Campaign is aimed at promoting awareness of and commitment to critical forest issues in the run-up to the general elections and beyond. The campaign is targeted at key political parties (eleven parties, Kenya has over 300 parties) who are being asked to include six key forest issues in their manifestos. Lately the campaign has focused on the three parties – ODM, ODM-Kenya and Party of National Unity which brings together the other key parties.

The six forest issues being addressed are support for the forest policy and legislation, political will and transparency in running of the newly created Kenya Forest Service (KFS) that takes care of all forests, funding for KFS to carry out its mandate, demarcation of forest boundaries, addressing settlements in forests and action for increased forest cover.

The campaign is receiving positive reaction, with ODM-Kenya already taking the issues into account. We hope to see the same from ODM and PNU.

Oh, one more thing. My name is Liz and I will be blogging alongside Michael. I look forward to your comments. Thank you Dipesh and F.J. Pechir for your comments.

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