Bawku (UER)-Ghana, Nov. 13, GNA – The Forestry Commission has granted a salvage permit for the evacuation of about 147 papao logs from the Bawku Municipality, which were fallen by farmers during land preparation for farming.
The logs were sold to the Bempa Steel Company at GH¢18,170.00 and the salvage permit expires on February 28, 2023.
Mr Emmanuel Omane, the Bawku Division Manager of Forestry Commission who interacted with the Ghana News Agency, said the farmers cleared the papao trees for space to be used for farming and that attracted the intervention of the FC.
He said the sharing process of the proceeds, when triggered, would be determined by the FC through a standardised procedure for all parties and hinted that the Bawku Municipal Assembly would be given about 55 per cent, and the remainder shared between the Traditional Authority and the Administration of stool lands.
Mr Omane explained that the Forestry Commission played a protective role in the management of the resources and stressed that tree felling was not permitted by the Commission.
Explaining the roles of stool lands and the Traditional Authority in such situations he said all forest reserves and off reserves was managed on behalf of stool lands and the Traditional Authority.
He said the Upper East Region did not have much productive activities, “if there were productive activities in the region and there are illegal activities, it will be the responsibility of the FC to intercept such activities and in case any auction of such items occur then stool land and sharable entities come in but for the papao logs, the company has paid, only the process has not been triggered for any sharing until the logs are evacuated.”
The repercussion for any delay in the evacuation, he said was the area’s susceptibility to wild fires and called on the company to evacuate the wood as soon as possible since the harmattan season had started and bush fires would be uncontrollable.
