Elgon residents to plant 30,000 trees
Dec 13, 2009
RESIDENTS in districts neighbouring the Mt. Elgon National Park are to plant over 30,000 trees in a bid to scale down the depletion of the park’s forest cover.
By Daniel Edyegu
RESIDENTS in districts neighbouring the Mt. Elgon National Park are to plant over 30,000 trees in a bid to scale down the depletion of the park’s forest cover.
The Mt. Elgon community conservation warden, Richard Matanda, explained that the tree-planting campaign would be funded by part of the sh30m gate collections the park realised last financial year.
Matanda noted that the project had been approved in the sub-counties of Zesui in Sironko, Benet in Kapchorwa, Wanale in Mbale and Bupoto in Manafwa district.
“We realised that merely sensitising communities on the relevance of conserving the tropical forest on Mt. Elgon is yielding little impact. This strategy engages the communities in direct conservation of the park so they can earn money as well as better the environment,†Matanda said.
He said communities would plant both soft and hard-wood tree species like eucalyptus, Mahogany, cordia, Elgon olive, albizia, prunus and supathodia and mivule.
Matanda was last Tuesday speaking during the handover of a sh5m cheque to Joshua Nasilo, the chairperson of the Forty-Five-Member tree planting group in Busamo village, Manafwa district.
Matanda added that part of the sh30m would be spent on projects that promote conservation of the park such as diary farming.
He said since 2001, over 80,000 trees had been planted by communities around the park.
Nasilo said the strategy would benefit the community because most of the residents go into the park in search of firewood.
George Wanakina, the Manafwa district acting natural resources officer, warned the group against misappropriating funds, saying the project would be closely monitored by the district.
RESIDENTS in districts neighbouring the Mt. Elgon National Park are to plant over 30,000 trees in a bid to scale down the depletion of the park’s forest cover.
The Mt. Elgon community conservation warden, Richard Matanda, explained that the tree-planting campaign would be funded by part of the sh30m gate collections the park realised last financial year.
Matanda noted that the project had been approved in the sub-counties of Zesui in Sironko, Benet in Kapchorwa, Wanale in Mbale and Bupoto in Manafwa district.
“We realised that merely sensitising communities on the relevance of conserving the tropical forest on Mt. Elgon is yielding little impact. This strategy engages the communities in direct conservation of the park so they can earn money as well as better the environment,†Matanda said.
He said communities would plant both soft and hard-wood tree species like eucalyptus, Mahogany, cordia, Elgon olive, albizia, prunus and supathodia and mivule.
Matanda was last Tuesday speaking during the handover of a sh5m cheque to Joshua Nasilo, the chairperson of the Forty-Five-Member tree planting group in Busamo village, Manafwa district.
Matanda added that part of the sh30m would be spent on projects that promote conservation of the park such as diary farming.
He said since 2001, over 80,000 trees had been planted by communities around the park.
Nasilo said the strategy would benefit the community because most of the residents go into the park in search of firewood.
George Wanakina, the Manafwa district acting natural resources officer, warned the group against misappropriating funds, saying the project would be closely monitored by the district.