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Jan 22, 2006
<b>Get forest evictions story in context</b><br>I refer to your story of January 19, titled, “Museveni Stops Forest Evictions.†I would like to make a few clarifications.
I refer to your story of January 19, titled, “Museveni Stops Forest Evictions.†I would like to make a few clarifications.
National Forestry Authority’s (NFA) effort to solve encroachment started in December 2004 with identification of the main causes of the problem and developing a strategy on how to approach it. We developed an approach that has a human face in order to minimise the social cost on the encroachers. The approach involves the following:
•Forest boundary re-opening.
•Registering encroachers within the boundary and their activities.
•Sensitising encroachers to vacate voluntarily.
•Issuing of eviction notices followed by legal proceedings, where no other alternatives remain.
•Re-planting and encouraging natural regeneration in vacated areas.
As a result of this approach, encroachers have voluntarily vacated about 421,000 hectares in 112 forest reserves.
Registration of encroachers has enabled us to sort out the encroachment by category and activities including:
•The landless as opposed to those with alternative land.
•Those with commercial interests as opposed to food production for subsistence purposes.
•Locals and immigrants.
•Type of activities being carried out in the reserves.
We have registered 180,000 encroachers cultivating on 56,000 hectares and grazing 136,000 livestock. There are also many schools, churches, mosques and illegal land titles in forest reserves. All these forms of encroachment cannot be treated in a similar manner. Eviction has not been and will not be initiated without observing and adhering to the uniqueness of the situation in each case. Legitimate land disputes must be dealt with through consultations in mutual respect.
Following sensitisation of political leadership, civic society leaders and encroachers in numerous meetings, many encroachers are now willing to discuss their fate with NFA. In South Busoga CFR for example, some encroachers now go to NFA for letters to give them permission to harvest their mature crops while others are applying for tree-planting permits.
A stay of evictions could have been necessary until further consultations can be carried out, but it is dangerous if this is misinterpreted as a go-ahead for further new encroachment. We will remain committed to restoring the integrity of Central Forest Reserves as we observe and respect the President’s directive.
Ends
National Forestry Authority’s (NFA) effort to solve encroachment started in December 2004 with identification of the main causes of the problem and developing a strategy on how to approach it. We developed an approach that has a human face in order to minimise the social cost on the encroachers. The approach involves the following:
•Forest boundary re-opening.
•Registering encroachers within the boundary and their activities.
•Sensitising encroachers to vacate voluntarily.
•Issuing of eviction notices followed by legal proceedings, where no other alternatives remain.
•Re-planting and encouraging natural regeneration in vacated areas.
As a result of this approach, encroachers have voluntarily vacated about 421,000 hectares in 112 forest reserves.
Registration of encroachers has enabled us to sort out the encroachment by category and activities including:
•The landless as opposed to those with alternative land.
•Those with commercial interests as opposed to food production for subsistence purposes.
•Locals and immigrants.
•Type of activities being carried out in the reserves.
We have registered 180,000 encroachers cultivating on 56,000 hectares and grazing 136,000 livestock. There are also many schools, churches, mosques and illegal land titles in forest reserves. All these forms of encroachment cannot be treated in a similar manner. Eviction has not been and will not be initiated without observing and adhering to the uniqueness of the situation in each case. Legitimate land disputes must be dealt with through consultations in mutual respect.
Following sensitisation of political leadership, civic society leaders and encroachers in numerous meetings, many encroachers are now willing to discuss their fate with NFA. In South Busoga CFR for example, some encroachers now go to NFA for letters to give them permission to harvest their mature crops while others are applying for tree-planting permits.
A stay of evictions could have been necessary until further consultations can be carried out, but it is dangerous if this is misinterpreted as a go-ahead for further new encroachment. We will remain committed to restoring the integrity of Central Forest Reserves as we observe and respect the President’s directive.
Ends