Mabira Forest destruction continues

Jan 09, 2012

The controversial felling of trees in Mabira Forest has continued, despite public uproar against destruction of the largest urban forest reserve.

By Gerald Tenywa
 
The controversial felling of trees in Mabira Forest has continued, despite public uproar against destruction of the largest urban forest reserve. 
 
While the National Forestry Authority (NFA) insists that part of the forest that was allocated to a private concession is not a natural forest, illegal loggers have poured into the forest. They are operating alongside the concessionaire in the sub-counties of Nagojje and Ntunda.
 
“I have never seen this kind of destruction in Mabira,” Vincent Lubwama, a resident of Nagojje told Sunday Vision. “Illegal loggers and charcoal burners are not sleeping. They are also taking advantage of the situation to exploit the forest.” 
 
He added: “We are seeing more chainsaws in the forest compared to the days before Christmas. In Bulanga village, the sound coming from the forest is like a maize mill.” 
 
Last week, Stephen Galima, the range manager, who oversees Mabira, said Fred Tumusiime, a private investor, had been allocated five hectares of trees comprising mainly of eucalyptus trees. He said the trees were planted in an area referred to as arboretum or a plot set aside for experimentation. “Most of these trees are mature and rotting away,” Galima said. “We allocated them to a private concessionaire to recover the timber. This is part of the production zone of the forest, where selective logging is allowed.” 
 
But illegal pit sawyers are working in about 20 hectares of the forest. Sources say the illegal operators remove more than 20 lorry loads of timber every week and most of them work day and  night.
 
The felling of trees reportedly started mid last year, but escalated after the private concessionaire started operating in Nagojje, according to sources.
 
The State Minister of Environment, Flavia Munaba, is planning to visit the forest next week. “I am going there to establish what is going on. I will assess the situation and follow it with NFA. We need to guide the population to understand and participate in what we are doing.”
 
Munaba, who pointed out that she had been studying the forestry sector since her appointment as state minister was now fully equipped and that she wants a day of reflection on matters of NFA. She pointed out that NFA was reacting to crises. “We are answering issues of forestry by crisis. And crisis after crisis,” she noted. 
 
“I have moved this motion in my ministry and I am going to follow it up because now there a fresh case in Mabira.” 
The minister’s visit to the 29,000-hectare reserve, the largest in central Uganda, is slated for January 9 and this may continue to January 10.
 

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