By T. Ezekiel Geeplay, Sinoe County Correspondent
GREENVILLE, Aug. 9 (LINA) – The leadership of the Tarsue Community Assembly Forest Management Body (CFMB) has stressed the need for training in Forest Community Rights Laws and its regulations, with focus on the roles and responsibilities of the CFMB.
Tarsue community forest is located in Sanquin Statutory District, Sinoe County, about 57 kilometers away from the Port City of Greenville in Electoral District #3.
The community is represented in the National Legislature by Matthew G. Zarzar.
It operates a community forest granted it through the Community Forest Management Agreement (CFMA) with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).
In January 2019, the community signed a ‘Third Party Forest Management Agreement’ (FMC) with the West Africa Forest Development Incorporated (WAFDI) to harvest logs in the area.
However, some community members challenged the legitimacy of the forest contract and called for its cancellation and removal of the CFMB management team for alleged acts incompatible with the community’s by-laws and constitution.
The new leadership of the Tarsue Community Forest has therefore underscored the need for more training to enable them properly manage the forest and represent the business interest of the general community members.
The Chairperson of the Executive Committee (EC), Ericson Farley told LFMW that the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), Foundation for Community Initiative (FCI) and the National Union of Community Forest Management Body (NUCFMB) provided some training for them, but majority of the training beneficiaries were members of the outgoing leadership.
Farley is, therefore, appealing for training of members of the current leadership if they must properly run the affairs of the 9,714 hectares of community forest.
“During the first training provided by SDI, FCI and NUCFMB, most of the current members of the community assembly were not in leadership. So we need more training for them to be able to work in a manner that will please the community,” Ericson Farley pleaded.
There are currently 40 members of the Tarsue Community Forest Structure, representing about twenty towns and villages with eight female representatives. Three of the females are high school graduates, while five are high school dropped-outs.
The Executive Chairperson of the EC put the literacy rate among CA members at 30%, noting, majority of the CA members cannot read and write.
The Head of the Community Forest Management Body (CFMB), G. Dennis Wiah, said there is no company currently operating in the Tarsue Community Forest since they opposed the operation of WAFDI.
Dennis said that they stopped WAFDI from operating in their forest due to the company’s failure to meet up with the terms of the third party agreement that governs the management of their Community Forest.
« After realizing that the company was a fake company, we met as a community and opposed the company on grounds that they refused to meet up with the third party agreement, » Dennis explained.
Several CA members told LINA the CFMB Chairperson, G. Dennis Wiah is suspected of residing in Monrovia and running the affairs of the community, something which, they say, contravenes the Community Rights Laws and community by-laws and constitution.
Madam Oretha Gbayon, treasurer of the CFMB, reported that there is smooth working relationship between the women and men in the CA. She, however, craved for more women’s participation in forest governance.
“We the females are comfortable working with our male counterparts because our views, including recommendations and suggestions, are respected and considered by the men,” said Oretha Gbayon.
Towns and villages comprising the Tarsuse Community Forest are Bafforbay Community, Shampey, Moses Toe Village, Sambo Community, Kayon Village, Bellyford Village, Gequegbo Town, Field Three Community, Nebel Village and Banblee Town.
Others include Jlatagbo Town, Ok Village, Peter Town, Konmanneh Town, Paris Town, Barmeh Town, Tonita Town, Baffore Camp, Chapeh Town, and Tarsue Beach.
