A group of saw millers in Mt Kenya region have dismissed as allegations that they were harvesting the natural forests without control.
They said the information being passed by environmental activists were misleading and meant to incite members o the public with issues that are not there.
Led by Rift Valley, Central and Eastern Sawmillers Association, they said they harvest ripe trees from plantation regions of the forests, which is allowed by law.
“We are not clearing natural forests nor are we opening the forests to uncontrolled felling” a statement issued by the association on Saturday said.
The statement further stated that, plantation forests are trees grown in a forest to be harvested on rotation when they mature.
“When left standing past maturity, they decay, lose commercial grade and cease generating royalties for the exchequer” the statement issued to our newsrooms further added.
The association also stated that, “We are conducting legal commercial forestry sale and harvest of mature and through, conservation and management Act 2016 and the Forest’s Harvesting with Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015, the Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations 2020, the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016 and the Forest (Harvesting) Rules 2009”.
The association has said that the timber industry has created job opportunities to over 150,000 youths in Central region, thus support their livelihood.
Therefore, a saw miller who was not aware of the press statement Stephen Chege from Kinoo area urged the environmentalists to stop the discussion since it will further confuse the public, since they were harvesting the mature trees within the confines of law.
He also said that no one can risk to invest a lot of money in an illegal business of forest harvesting and selling of forest produces.
Chege said that the saw millers supports the Kenya Forest Service and the government achieve President William Ruto’s target of planting 15 billion trees.
“How can we achieve to that target if we were conducting uncontrolled forest harvesting?” he wondered.
He also said that, the State through the KFS, have plans of re-planting trees in those plantation regions, given the fact that the KFS as well as Community Forests Associations and other partners,have planted seedbeds to sustain tree planting throughout the year.
“When the much anticipated rain starts, tree planting will be conducted in many regions of this country and more so Centra region where I participates in tree planting” he added.
“At some places, locals will benefit once they are allocated plots to conduct farming under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Systems (Pelis). Once they cultivate those plots, as they plant their food crops, trees are planted there and within a span of about five years, the whole forest is grown” he said.
Speaking during Mazingira Day at Kinale forest on Saturday at Kirasha primary school, Chege said they will be planting trees and also be enlightening locals about the importance of protecting and growing of trees.
