Namwala forestry opened

Namwala forestry opened

 

Namwala, March 7, ZANIS ——–The Forest Department in Namwala district has so far opened 32.5 kilometes out of the 34,309 hectares of the Ila National Forest P40 in its forestry boundary reopening exercise.

 

In an interview with ZANIS today, Namwala District Forestry Officer Stanley Banda said that the Ila forest was last opened in 1969 hence reopening the forest boundary.

 

He said that the reopening of the forest means clearing the boundary line between the forest area and non forestry area to prevent human encroachment.

 

Mr Banda further said that the department needs more funding to complete the exercise and that government has been very supportive in the exercise.

 

Meanwhile Mr Banda has disclosed that the forestry department has embarked on a tree planting exercise in the district where churches, school groups and individuals will be given plants for free to plant to prevent deforestation in the district.

 

He said that about 15,496 assorted tree species have been planted in Mukobela chiefdom and about 800 tree species have also been planted in Mungaila chiefdom and the exercise will spread to chiefdom of Nalumbamba.

 

Mr Banda added that about 3125 assorted tree species of trees have been distributed to needy schools and clinics around the chiefdoms.

 

Mr Banda said that the exercise is in line with the government’s directive of establishment of National Commercial Nurseries in districts.

A minimum number of seedlings to be produced by each person or groups is 10,000 seedlings within the period of the exercise.

 

Namwala district lies in the plains and planting of trees will act as wind breakers whenever there are heavy storms in the district.

 

The planting exercise is also in line with the quota protocol of climate change mitigation methods.