Bono Forestry Commission exceeds one million seedling target with over 70% survival rate for 2022

The Bono Regional Forestry Commission Division (FSD) Distributed has planted 1.9 million seedlings throughout last year, thereby exceeding the target of one million seedling with a survival rate of over 70%.

The tremendous achievement was attributed to hard work and commitment to the project.

Mr. Augustine Kofi Gyedu, the Bono Regional Manager of Forestry Service Division made this known during this year’s Green Ghana Day ceremony at the Catholic University, Fiapre at Sunyani West.

In his address, the Regional Manager said the Bono Region has targeted planting 600,000 trees for which adequate preparation and sensitization have been made for the event.

The Green Ghana project he noted is to help restore the degraded landscapes both in forest and off-forest reserve areas throughout the country so as to fit into global celebration of the International Day of the Forestry set by the UN General Assembly in 2012.

Touching on the theme of the celebration, “Our Forest, Our Health”, the Regional Manager outlined the significance to include purifying water, clean the air, capture carbon to fight climate change to food and medicinal plants as well as improving the wellbeing of mankind.

The Green Ghana Day, the Regional Manager emphasized seeks to enhance national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of degraded landscapes, protect watersheds, inculcated in the youth the values of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits as well as enhance livelihoods for rural communities through engagement in the production of three seedlings.

Madam Justina Owusu Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister in her speech to grace the occasion said the Green Ghana Project was launched as part of an aggressive afforestation/reforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of Ghana and to contribute to the Global effort to fight climate change.

She called on the Ghanaians in general and the people of Bono Region in particular take active part in the Green Ghana exercise by planting trees within and around compounds, in the medians of roads, in schools, churches and on recreational grounds/parks which will not only beautify the environment but also replace the degraded Forest Reserve.

She made a passionate appeal for the public resolve to nurture and protect the trees planted to maturity. “We have a collective responsibility to leave future generations and our communities with richer, more valuable forest and wildlife endowment than we inherited”, she emphasized.

The Minister indicated that a proposal put before the members of the Bono Regional Coordinating Council during a meeting was agreed for all Assemblies in the Region to incorporate landscaping and at least planting of two trees into their bye-laws for granting building permits to prospective property developers. “By this mean, we would be greening the Bono Region at a faster rate”, she added.

The Regional Minister and other dignitaries planted ceremonial trees to mark the occasion at the Catholic University premises.

The ceremony was chaired by Prof. Daniels Obeng-Ofori, the Vice Chancellor of Catholic University, Ghana.