Government now bans livestock grazing in public forests
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya.
What you need to know:
- CS says the deployment of forest rangers has led to a significant decline in forest-related crime.
- Illegal grazing has been blamed for the spread of Foot and Mouth disease among wild animals.
The government has banned illegal grazing in public forests to ensure that only sustainable participatory forest management activities are undertaken in gazette forests.
In a statement, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Soipan Tuya said the Ministry would only engage with forest-adjacent communities that are members of the duly registered Community Forest Associations (CFA).
Ms Tuya said this will be undertaken through negotiated participatory Forest Management Plans (FMPs) and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs) as stipulated in the law.
She directed the Chief Conservator of Forests to ensure that established rules and regulations on grazing and grass harvesting in public forests are implemented.
“As a government, we are focused on safeguarding the integrity of our public forests as we work towards enhancing our tree cover,” said Ms Tuya.
She noted that the recent recruitment and deployment of 2,700 forest rangers, 100 cadets and 468 foresters has led to a significant decline in forest-related crime.
“The Ministry recognizes the immense public support for our environmental conservation efforts and lauds the renewed vigour by Kenyans towards tree growing countrywide. This is our collective responsibility as Kenyans requiring all hands on deck,” said Ms Tuya.
According to wildlife conservationists, besides destroying forest cover, illegal grazing could spread Foot and Mouth disease and anthrax among wild animals.
According to WWF-Kenya forests are home to most of the world’s life on land.
They are also essential to human health, purifying water and air and serving as our first defence against new infectious diseases.
“Additionally, forests provide more than 86 million green jobs and resources such as food and fuel that support billions of people’s livelihoods,” said WWF-K .
“Forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as carbon sinks — soaking up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be free in the atmosphere and contributing to ongoing changes in climate patterns.”
