Zimbabwe Forest Commission to Do Forestry Feasibility Studies
12/21/98
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Title: Zimbabwe Forest Commission to Do Forestry Feasibility Studies
Source: PANA via Africa News Service
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 12/21/98
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (PANA, 12/21/98) - The forestry commission in Zimbabwe
has embarked on feasibility studies on state forests leading to the
implementation of a zimdollars 12 million forest management programme in
Matabeleland north. ( 1 USD = 35ZD)
The commission's divisional manager for indigenous resources in the
province, Cuthbert Mutsiwegota, said in an interview that feasibility
studies for the project, aimed at reducing the depletion of forests, would
be conducted in all the indigenous forests in the province.
Indigenous forests stand at 800,000 hectares and are mostly found in
Hwange, Binga, Nkayi and Umguza. they have commercially viable timber like
teak and mukwa, used in furniture production.
"If our studies prove that the project will be viable, we will then choose
two forests which will act as pilot projects before the implementation of
the whole programme next year,"he said.
Mutsiwegota said the multi-million dollar project to be funded by
government together with the department for international development in
britain, would involve communities living in or near state forests, who
would in turn benefit from the project.
"For looking after the forests, locals would benefit through having
infrastructure such as schools and clinics built for them, and also they
will be entitled to use forest resources such as grazing and thatch
grass," he said.
He added that a similar project was underway at Mafungautsi forest in
Gokwe where communities were benefiting from the forest management.
Meanwhile, woodlot management initiatives in the province had been a
success with more communities now running woodlots.
However, the most successful woodlands management projects were at
Ntabazinduna, about 50 km north of Bulawayo where communities had
designated certain portions of their grazing areas into forestry schemes.