Two clans in Gbarpolu County Normon and Tonglay along with Gbarzohn community from RiverCess County have signed community forest Management Agreement (CFMA) with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to manage their own forests.
The signing which took place Saturday May 1, 2021 at the FDA headquarters in Whein Town was witnessed by FDA boss C. Mike Doryen and representatives of the two communities along the sponsor of the process, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL).
In a brief remark, FDA boss Doryen urged the three communities to hold together and avoid confusion.
He also admonished to remain law-abiding and stop shielding people who want to use their community forests for their own self-aggrandizement.
Mr. Doryen speaking at the close of the CFMA on Saturday that the FDA remains steadfast to cubing violation of the community forestry law and will prosecute anyone caught.
“It is very wrong for someone to go into the community and cut down huge logs without the consent of the community”, Doryen further urged the community people.
SCNL Executive Director Michael Garbo for his part express happiness over the signing of the agreement terming it as a “dream come through”.
“It is a great day today and it’s a great honor as well for donors who have been supporting us throughout the stages of this process”, he said.
Mr. Garbo used the occasion to thank Chief William Kporto and Madam Anne Gardner some of the few people that were very instrumental in making sure that the two communities in Gbarpolu complete the nine steps process in acquiring their community forest.
Meanwhile two officials of the Community Forestry Management Body (CFMB), McGill Wleh and Karimu Fofanah expressed joy over signing of their community forest agreement with the FDA.
Wleh and Fofanah added that based on several training knowledge that they went there is no doubt that confusion will erupt in the management of their community forest.
The European Union (EU) and Rainforest Trust provided funding for the process through SCNL to support activities leading to the creation of Tonglay and Normon community forest, which is measured more than 29, 000 hectares of primary forests.
The 2009 Community Rights Law fully engage and empower communities in the sustainable management of the Liberian forests by creating a legal framework that defines and supports community rights in the management and use of their forest resources.
According to a 2019, more than 150 community forests have been signed since the passage of the community rights law.
About 133 applications were pending, which would cover a total of 43,000 square kilometers (16,600 square miles), or 45 percent of Liberia’s total land mass.
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