Studies conducted by Wild Chimpanzee Foundation and Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia show that the Krahn-Bassa, Kpo, Foya Proposed Protected Areas, are forest landscape rich in biodiversity of which some of the species are endangered, critically endangered and threatened.
The studies also uncovered new species some of which are unique to science.
Bassa-Krahn is found in the Southeastern region of Liberia covering three Counties in which the forest stretches from Grand Gedeh through Sinoe to RiverCess Counties.
While Kpo and Foya forest landscapes are located in the West and Northern regions of Liberia, Lofa and Gbarpolu Counties.
The Gazettement of the three forestry landscapes is part of the commitment made by the government of Liberia to Protect and transform 1 million hectares of land into a National Park.
Consistent with said commitment, the Forestry Development Authority(FDA) initiated series of consultations in the three landscapes as part of the Free Prior Inform Consent process to ensure that those living around those forest landscapes can form part of the process.
In continuation, FDA in collaboration with the WCF and SCNL recently hosted the National Consultations in Monrovia where Superintendents from Lofa, Gbarpolu, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh and Rivercess Counties participated as well as the Head of the National Traditional Council of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Karwor.
Others that attended the National Consultations included the Head of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chairpersons of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as Conservation CSOs working in the Liberia.
The aim of the conference in Monrovia was to present activities and key contents of the draft Gazettement packages for the Krahn-Bassa proposed protected areas, which will be transformed to Kwa National Park as well as the Kpo, and Foya Proposed Protected Areas that will be changed to the Mahemai National Park.
Key Actors address the conference
Addressing the gathering FDA Managing Director C. Mike Doyen said the government has resolved to cancel the concession agreement of logging company who have reneged to pay their Taxes and social benefits to affected communities.
“This decision is for the government to focus on conversing more of the Country’s forest landscape to ensure that Liberia goes green,” Mr. Doyen added.
“Since the Logging Companies are not paying their taxes and social benefits to the affected Communities the government has decided to reduce the number of companies doing logging and direct more energy to conservation”, he said.
“Let me say to this gathering that conservation also foster development especially through the Carbon Market that Liberia is now trying to enter,” the FDA Boss emphasized.
“I am encouraging all Liberians mainly those living around the three landscapes to support ongoing efforts by the FDA and Partners that are working hard to change the status of those Proposed Protected Areas,” Mr. Doyen further stressed.
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Wilson Tarpeh acknowledged that conservation is the conduit through which Liberia can enter the global Carbon credit market to get financial returns that will support National and Community development.
While it is truth the we support conservation efforts in Liberia the practice must go along with community development so that those helping government to preserve the forest can benefit too.” Mr. Tarpeh added.
”It means that we should improve the model of conservation by providing sustainable alternative livelihood to change those living around the forest from relying on resources for livelihood”
The Charge’ d’ Affairs at the British Embassy near Monrovia, Kate Thompson said the preservation of Liberia’s forest and wildlife has a long term benefits to the Country.
“The rest of the World is relying on Country like Liberia’s forest to upset climate change and provide quality air to the human race and as such Liberians must do everything to keep their forest in tight”,Ambassador Thompson noted.
“While Liberia was conserving it forest landscape, it also important for the International Partners to be able to meet their side of the bargaining by providing financial support to improve alternative livelihood regime for forest communities to reduce their reliant on forest resources”, She said.
The Chairpersons on the Senate and House of Representative on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senator Jim Tornonlah and Prince Tokpah pledged the Legislature’s commitment to transform the Bassa-Krahn, Kpo and Foya Proposed Protected Areas into National parks by passing the three landscapes into law.
Senator Tornonlah and Representative Tokpah ,however, urged the FDA and Partners to urgently work along with the Legislature to pass the three landscape Act into Law to ensure that government achieve its commitment of conserving one million hectare of forest land in the Country.
The two Lawmakers said they were impressed with the speed at which the FDA and Partners were working to Gazette the three forest landscapes in the interest of the Country.
Why protect Krahn-Bassa, Foya and Kpo?
The Krahn-Bassa proposed protected area covers an estimated landscape of 236,246hactares-the largest protected area in Liberia when pass into law.
A survey conducted in the Krahn-Bassa Proposed Protected Area (KBPPA) in eastern Liberia discovered 36 species of amphibians and 13 species of reptiles.
. In the Foya Proposed Protected Area (FPPA) in western Liberia 39 species of amphibians and 10 species of reptiles were recorded.. Of particular conservation interest was the discovery of a high percentage of typical rainforest specialists with ranges restricted to the western part of the Upper Guinea rainforest biodiversity hotspot.
Outstanding discoveries in KBPPA were two new species of puddle frogs, and the first country record for the arboreal, parachuting lizard Holaspis guentheri.
Remarkable records in FPPA comprise a new species of stiletto snake, a new puddle frog and records of various frog species typically breeding in undisturbed rainforest streams, such as Odontobatrachus natator and Conraua alleni.
Kpo is measured 23, 425.7 hectares and Foya stretches about 104898.7 and will now be called GbaLo Proposed Protected area.
Foya consists of moist evergreen forest and moist semi-deciduous forests. The site includes about 44,000 ha of community forest.
