As Uganda joins the rest of the world today to mark the International Forestry day, the National Forestry Authority NFA has expressed the need for the establishment of the Tree Fund to cater for conservation of the Ugandan Forest resources.
According to the National Forests and Tree planting ACT passed in 2003 proposed a Tree Fund but since then it has never been implemented.

The Executive Director National Forestry Authority Michael Mugisa says the debates by economists should not stop the establishment of the proposed Tree Fund since similar funds like the Road Fund have been put in place without affect the country’s Macro-economic stability of the country.

Mugisa says having a Tree Fund would go a long way in protection Forests and conserve the environment across the country.

Meanwhile he revealed that new regulations will soon be out to strengthen the mandate of the National Forestry Authority to ensure that the authority oversee the management of Forests on private land.

He says that the biggest percentage of degradation, encroachment and destruction of forests is mainly on private land yet the Authority is only responsible for central Forest reserves.Cue.Land.Eng.

Mugisa is optimistic that after issuance of the new regulation, the Authority will step up its mandate to protect the country’s forest cover.