Illegal logging, charcoal burning, fuelwood harvesting, and small-scale mining in the Savannah Region will be prohibited beginning Monday, May10, 2021. This is part of the measures to protect forest reserves and economically viable trees.

According to the Regional House of Chiefs, these actions have resulted in the indiscriminate degradation of the region’s environmental cover, hence the directive. A survey conducted in five traditional areas revealed that about 1,042,580 trees are destroyed within a year. These trees include shea, dawadawa, rosewood and kapok trees as well as other medicinal and economic trees.

This directive was issued in a communiqué signed by the chairman of a five-member committee of eminent chiefs. The Savannah Regional House Chiefs appointed the Bole Traditional Area’s paramount chief, Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) to lead the committee.

“In this regard, the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs resolved that illegal logging, commercial harvesting of fuelwood… in the Savannah Region be banned effective Monday, May 10,2021.”

The committee recommended that any vehicle transporting charcoal from the Savannah Region will attract a penalty of GH¢5 per bag of charcoal. Furthermore, it stated that any vehicle transporting logs or charcoal after May 10, 2021 would be fined GH1,000 simply for making the vehicle available for transportation.

In another development, Former Lands Minister, Inusah Fuseini, intimated that some Ghanaian companies continue to export rosewood despite a ban by government. He also accused the Forestry Commission of shirking its responsibility to ensure that no rosewood leaves the shore of the country.

According to him, the country’s only hope of ending rosewood exportation is for regulatory agencies like the Forestry Commission to enforce the law. He went on to say that the Commission will need to work with national security officials to stop the illegal act.

Parkland Restoration Fund to protect shea parklands

Government has commissioned the Parkland Restoration Fund (PRF) to ensure the shea industry continues to play its integral part in the lives of the people. The PRF will raise $65.5 million from public and private sources to implement the Action for Shea Parklands. The initiative is to grow 10 million shea trees and protect 4 million hectares of shea parklands.

In an event, the Vice President recalled the important economic and cultural roles played by the shea tree in the lives of the people of Africa and the world, particularly in rural areas. He then expressed worry about the cutting down of shea trees and destruction of shea parklands. He noted that “shea is a big sequester of carbon as informed by industry experts; saving the ecosystem in the environment where they grow.”

“Despite this important role, it is sad to see trees cut down for various reasons such as charcoal for household fuel. Shea trees take at least 20 years to mature. Cutting down one shea tree means destroying many years of work done.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President.

He, therefore, entreated Global Shea Alliance to continue engaging stakeholders including government regulatory authorities, local chiefs, and private sector to strive and achieve the objectives of the Action for Shea Parkland. Global Shea Alliance is a non-profit industry association which contribute to sustaining the shea industry.