Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change & Forestry Soipan Tuya on Friday issued new guidelines for grazing in public forests.
The CS said Kenya’s public forests are critical to the goal of raising the country’s tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032 as envisioned in the 10-year National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy.
Tuya said the guidelines are the anchor framework for the 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme focused on amplifying Kenya Nature Based Solutions (NBS) interventions to combat the climate change crisis.
To ensure that only sustainable participatory forest management activities are undertaken in the gazetted forests including grazing, the public should know that on matters of forest user rights, the CS said:
"That, on matters of forest user rights, the Ministry shall only engage with forest adjacent communities that are members of duly registered Community Forest Associations (CFAs) through negotiated Participatory Forest Management Plans (PFMPs) and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs) as stipulated in the law," she said.
She further directed the Chief Conservator of Forests to ensure that established rules and regulations on grazing and grass harvesting in public forests are implemented to the letter.
"The Ministry working with partners in deploying technology to enhance forest surveillance, hastening delineation of boundaries and expanding the fencing programme to cover all gazetted public forests," she said.
Tuya stated that as a government, they are focused on safeguarding the integrity of public forests as they work towards enhancing tree cover.
"The recent recruitment and deployment of 2,700 forest rangers, 100 cadets and 468 foresters has led to a significant decline in forest-related crimes," said Tuya in the statement.
"However, cases of illegal grazing in public forests are on the rise across the country. This undermines the progress we are making towards the 15 billion national tree-growing target," she added.
The CS acknowledged the immense public support for the environmental conservation efforts and appreciated the renewed vigour by Kenyans towards tree growing countrywide.
"This is our collective responsibility as Kenyans requiring all hands on deck," Tuya said.
The Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016) makes provision for the participation of local communities in the management of gazetted forests.
Section (49)(2)(d) of the Act confers certain user rights to forest-adjacent communities including controlled grass harvesting and grazing.
