Osehobo Ofure, Benin City
Edo State government is planning to plant thousands of new trees across the 49 Forest reserves it operates across the 18 local government areas in the state.
The state has also banned illegal logging, including the falling of young trees across forest reserves in the state as part of efforts to revive these forests.
Chairman of Edo State Forest Commission, Valentine Imasuen, disclosed this while warning individuals who have illegally encroached the state forest reserves to immediately vacate such areas.
He said his commission has been investigating activities of individuals involved in the forestry sector and discovered that some some persons have been engaging in illegal logging and felling of saplings. He said the practice is not only unsustainable but detrimental to the environment.
“As the newly appointed Chairman of the I am committed to upholding the core mandate set out by the Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Our primary goal is to ensure the restoration, proper management, and utilization of our forest resources.
“Let me assure the public that we will not tolerate any form of illegal activity in our forests. We are committed to enforcing the law and ensuring that all individuals and businesses comply with the regulations governing forest products”.
Imasuen added that, “We will enforce the full weight of the law to ensure that the right thing is done. We are determined to protect our forest resources and promote sustainable development”.
He said, “We will be embarking on a massive tree-planting exercise in our 49 forest reserves across the state. We are also collaborating with other organizations to ensure that we restore our forests not just for the present generation but for the next generation as well”.
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