The Forestry Commission has raised red flags about the increasing destruction of the Chipa Forest Reserve at Kordiabe in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region.
“Illegal felling of trees and sand winning is gradually becoming a thorn in the flesh of the reserve which is mainly made up of cassia, neem, mahogany and acasia trees,” the Chief Executive of the commission, Mr Samuel Afari Dartey, said at the launch of the 2015 Greening Ghana Day at Dodowa.
He therefore rallied members of the community to join forces with the commission to protect the forest against such illegal activities.
“I will encourage everybody to seek permission from the Forestry Commission before undertaking any activity in the reserve,” he said.
With the nation’s forest resources reduced from 8.2 million hectares in 1900 to 1.6 million hectares currently, the Greening Ghana project is aimed at halting deforestation.
In addition, the country is said to be losing about 65,000 hectares of forest cover annually to illegal chainsaw operations.
The Greening Ghana launch forms part of activities to mark this year’s Forestry Week, which is celebrated every year, in line with the International Forest Day which falls on March 21.
International Forest Day is a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside forests. The UN, however, allows member states to adapt the celebration of the International Day of Forests, as well as the date, to suit their peculiar circumstances.
The Forestry Commission of Ghana chose the month of May for the celebration of the fay because of favourable climatic conditions during that time of the year for tree planting and other silvicultural operations.
