NAIROBI, Kenya—The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has finally spoken out about the alleged illegal harvesting of mature exotic trees in Karura Forest.
In a statement, the Service stated that it had taken note of messages in various formats circulating on social media regarding the removal of mainly eucalyptus exotic tree species from the Karura Forest.
“The information in the form of video recordings and a variety in text formats is misleading and inaccurate,” reads a statement from the Corporate Communities Department.
What is happening in the Karura Forest
KFS moved to assure the public and visitors of Karura Forest that what is going on is regular plantation management activity, which involves harvesting of mature exotic plantation species as per the Karura Forest Participatory Management Plan (PFMP), a legally budding document that is developed in collaboration between the KFS and Community Forest Association (CFA) in this case bring Friends of Karura Forest (FKF).
“According to the PMFP, Karura Forest, being an urban recreational forest, is to be reverted to a purely Indigenous forest through phased removal of exotic plantation tree species (Eucalyptus and Cypress),” the statement reads further.
According to KFS, only mature exotic tree species are being harvested in the phaser approach, which is planned to take four years.
How the process of tree harvesting is being done
The process of removal KFS clarified that it is being undertaken in strict adherence to the laws and procures of disposing of forest plantation materials.
The state agency revealed that these laws include the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016 and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015. Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Regulations, 2020. Public Financial Management Regulations, 2015, Forest Harvesting Rul s 2009, Legal Notice No. 21 on Forests (fees and charges) Rules of 2016.
Highlights of the procedure include inventorying the selected forest plantation as per the Karura Forest PFMP, floating, bidding, evaluating, and awarding harvesting tenders, clear-felling, and removing plantation materials from the forest.
“The process of replanting and restoring the harvested sites will include: Sites clean up and removal of invasive species, site preparation for replanting, actual planting of indigenous trees, shrubs and climbers suitable for the ecological zone,” KFS said.
Others include aftercare maintenance and monitoring to ensure a survival rate above 90%. “Care has been taken to ensure minimal disturbance to the ecosystem and the public,” KFS clarified further.
