NAIROBI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The suspension of a six-year ban on logging that was announced by Kenyan President William Ruto last week should not be extended to the country's indigenous forests, conservation lobby groups said Friday.
While announcing the lifting of a moratorium on logging in commercial forests, Ruto on Sunday said the move was informed by the need to spur the growth of the timber industry and create new jobs.
The Kenya Forest Working Group and the East African Wildlife Society said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the lifting of the logging ban should be restricted to commercial plantations as opposed to indigenous forests that provide immense ecosystem services.
"While we understand that harvesting of mature trees in exotic plantations may be important, we urge the government to maintain an unwavering ban on logging in indigenous forests," the lobby groups said.
In addition, the two conservation lobbies said the government should invest heavily in the conservation of the indigenous forests, given the abundant ecosystem services and goods they provide for local communities.
The Kenyan government issued a task force report on forest resources management and logging activities in 2018, providing guidelines on the establishment, management, harvesting, valuation and disposal of public forest plantations to boost revenue generation.
The lobby groups urged the government to engage commercial forest plantation owners and settle for a sustainable model of harvesting trees and spurring economic growth.
According to the lobbies, the Kenya Forest Service, a state corporation, should also clarify how it will deal with saw millers who made financial commitments six years ago before the ban on logging took effect.
The lobby groups urged the government to release an official statement detailing the forests in which logging will be permitted and measures in place to ensure that conservation laws are not violated.
