Search

In spite of the provisions of forest management prescriptions for forests in Ghana, forest degradation and deforestation are very high. This paper contributes to the discourse on sustainable forest management in Ghana by documenting the gaps in the implementation of forest management prescriptions and forest users' compliance with forest regulations. We used desk study, field observations and measurements, interviews as well as focus group discussions to solicit for information from different stakeholder groups. The study showed major gaps between the application of official forest management prescriptions and their practical implementation, as well as lack of compliance of logging regulations. These gaps encouraged forest encroachment, illegal exploitation of wood and wood products and undermine the effective generation of forest management data for planning and forest management decision support. Furthermore, poor compliance to management regulations was noted to constitute a critical factor limiting the achievement of forest management objectives. Reasons assigned to these gaps reflect institutional weaknesses and the constraints of resource under which such institutions operate. Therefore, as Ghana implements forest management mechanisms such as the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), attention should be focused on factors hindering the implementation of management prescriptions and compliance with forest regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the attitude of stakeholders towards forest management is important for the conservation of forests. In this paper we examine attitudes of primary stakeholders towards forest conservation management in Ghana, with Subri Forest Reserve as the study area. Using a survey methodology, 300 households from 10 communities around the reserve were randomly selected and interviewed with structured questionnaires. The results revealed that primary stakeholders have positive attitudes towards forest management and this was not dependent on the location of the community. They support sanctioning people who degrade the forest and accept the need to get a permit before harvesting. However, they are not in favour of strict protection of the reserve. Their attitude towards forest management is influenced by their perception of forest values, concern about degradation of the reserve, economic benefits they derive from the reserve, exposure to resource-use conflicts and membership of conservation organizations. Our findings suggest that primary stakeholders are interested in forest conservation management. But, to achieve sustainable development, it will be necessary to identify the types and quantity of forest products used and their economic significance and to develop initiatives that will support rural livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]