Don't Destroy Tree Seedlings Planted In Forest Reserves -Forestry Commission Boss Warns Illegal Miners
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forest Commission (FC), Mr. John Allotey, has sounded a strong-worded message to the small-scale miners to be mindful not to use their illegal mining activities to destroy the millions of tree seedlings they had planted in the forest reserves in the country.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forest Commission (FC), Mr. John Allotey, has sounded a strong worded message to the small-scale miners to be mindful not to use their illegal mining activities to destroy the millions of the tree seedlings they had planted in the forest reserves in the country.
According to him, the FC has taken into the consideration the devastating effect of the activities of the illegal small-scale miners before they had been planting the trees in the highly degraded forest range reserves and warned that the FC would shield anybody who destroyed the trees in the forest reserves.
Addressing the media during a press conference in the aftermath of the Green Ghana Day, on Monday, 13th June 2022, Mr. Allotey the activities of the small-scale miners have degraded various forest reserves and that they identified these places to plant the trees to restore the forest reserves for present and future generations.
Flanked by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio, the
CEO of the Forestry Commission gave an in-depth presentation on the provisional results of the seedlings distributed and planted on Green Ghana Day.
Pertinent among things highlighted in his presentation were the individual targets assigned to Regions and the actual results achieved.
Government exceeds 20m seedling target for Green Ghana Day - Lands Ministry
He noted that among the 16 regions, the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Eastern, and the Greater Accra Regions exceeded their targets while the Northern, North East, and Oti regions are yet to meet their targets due to low rainfall in these regions.
He said, from the 50% target purported to be planted in the forest reserves, 40.2% have been planted and the other 50% for homes and other locations have seen a 59.8% work done while reiterating that on the whole 22,671,696 seedlings have been distributed so far.
“The national target was to plant 20 million seedlings, but as we speak now, we have distributed 22,671,696 and even with this, the districts are still entering some of the figures and so we will update you as and when they come in,” he disclosed.
He also gave an analysis of the performances of various districts in the regions saying that “although some districts are yet to meet their target, generally, performances have been very impressive in the various districts.”
He mentioned the highest seedlings distributed per demand, naming; Teak, Ofram, Cinderella, Acacia, and Mahogany as examples, adding that Fruits and Timber species as examples of the species most requested.
The CEO also welcomed the role of the media in helping to monitor the seedlings planted during Green Ghana Day and added that all information regarding Green Ghana is available at the District Level of Forestry Commission.
He applauded some lead private plantation companies and churches who contributed to the success of the Project, outlining Global Green, Sanatex Ghana, Form Ghana, Sakam Savanna, the Pentecost Church, Catholic, Apostolic, Methodist, and Assemblies to God as examples.
