Alarm as logging ban lifted in Mau Forest

Residents sit on trees that were cut down in Logoman forest within the Eastern Mau, Nakuru County, on June 17, 2024. [File, Standard] Environmental organisations Green Belt Movement and Greenpeace Africa have called for an immediate suspension of tree harvesting in the Mau Forest Complex, citing violations of environmental laws and threats to Kenya's vital ecosystems. In a joint statement, the groups said the government's decision to lift the logging ban in the Mau undermines years of progress in forest protection and exposes Kenya's fragile ecosystems to renewed destruction. They warned that the move contradicts the government's own pledges on environmental conservation and climate action. President William Ruto, during his development tour of Nakuru, had directed the reopening of the forest to allow lumbering activities. Ruto said lifting the ban on logging allowed for the harvesting of mature trees. The President noted that there is a need to utilise mature timber for commercial purposes rather than letting it rot in the forest. He added that the government will begin selling mature trees in all forests across the country to saw millers. Ruto cautioned that the conditional lifting of the ban should not be misused as a licence to engage in wanton destruction of forests. The Green Belt Movement and Greenpeace Africa stated that opening the forest for logging threatens millions of Kenyans who depend on it. "The Mau Forest Complex is too important to be treated as a political bargaining chip. Its destruction would jeopardise the stability of rivers that feed Lake Nakuru, Lake Victoria and numerous irrigation systems." "It would worsen droughts, floods, and food insecurity, undermining national resilience and climate adaptation efforts. This is not just environmental mismanagement; it is economic self-sabotage," read the statement in part. The groups noted that the government's decision comes just two years after launching the 15 billion tree campaign, aimed at restoring landscapes and increasing tree cover by 2032. "It is deeply ironic to call on citizens to plant trees while sanctioning activities that destroy those that have taken decades to grow. ''Such policy inconsistency erodes public trust and makes a mockery of Kenya's climate commitments," the organisations noted. The organisations noted that according to the Forest Status Report 2024, Kenya loses an average of 84,716 hectares of forest annually to deforestation, with an additional 14,934 hectares degraded. The economic cost of this destruction is estimated at Sh534 billion each year, due to lost ecosystem services, reduced rainfall and soil erosion. The organisations noted that according to the Forest Status Report 2024, Kenya loses an average of 84,716 hectares of forest annually to deforestation, with an additional 14,934 hectares degraded. The economic cost of this destruction is estimated at Sh534 billion each year, due to lost ecosystem services, reduced rainfall, and soil erosion. They noted that the Environment and Land Court ruling of 2023 that guided the initial lifting of the logging ban was explicit. In the ruling, the government, before any harvesting could resume, was required to create an implementation framework for proactive information sharing and genuine public participation in forest management. The court further ordered that the harvesting of 5,000 hectares of mature and over-mature plantation trees be supervised by a Multi-Agency Oversight Team, in full compliance with environmental laws and regulations. The organisations noted that there has been no public disclosure of any such framework, no evidence of compliance with these legal requirements and no indication that the weaknesses identified in the 2018 Taskforce Report on Forest Resources Management and Logging Activities have been addressed. They called on the government to ensure meaningful public participation before any harvesting, allow logging only under the supervision of an independent multi-agency oversight team that includes civil society and community representatives, and account for the Sh534 billion annual cost of deforestation in national planning and budgeting. Further, they want the Kenya Forest Service strengthened by recruiting more forest guards and investing in monitoring systems.

Alarm as logging ban lifted in Mau Forest

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