Kenya Forest Service
The Kenya Forest Service is an agency of the Government of Kenya designated by the Forest Act of 2005[1] as the replacement for the old Forest Department.[2] It is overseen by the Board of the Kenya Forest Service. The former Forest Department was supported almost entirely from forest revenues, and was, as a result, chronically underfunded.[3] Under the 2005 Forest Act this has changed somewhat, with for example, the creation of special funds such as the Water Towers Conservation Fund,[4][5] a portion of which goes to forest rehabilitation, and the Mau Rehabilitation Trust Fund, for the Mau Forest.[6] As of 2003, Kenya had 1.57 million hectares of gazetted forest.[7]
Mission[8]
Among the responsibilities of the Kenya Forest Service are to:
- Own,[9] manage and protect all state forests[10]
- Promote forestry education and training[10] and operate the Kenya Forestry College[11]
- Enforce the conditions and regulations pertaining to logging, charcoal making and other forest utilisation activities[10]
- Apprehend and prosecute violators of forest law and regulations[12][13]
- Collect revenues from exploitation of forest products[12]
Forest management plans
The Kenya Forest Service has begun issuing management plans for individual forests. Plans are in effect for:
- Arabuko-Sokoke Forest[14][15]
- Cherangani Hills Forest consisting of thirteen blocks including the Embobut Forest[16][17][18]
- Karura Forest[19]
- Kereita Forest[20]
- Mau Forest
- Saboti-Sosio Forest, a Green Zones Development Support Project supported plan[21]
- South Nandi Forest, a Green Zones Development Support Project and Nature Kenya supported plan[21][22]
- Vanga, Jimbo and Kiwegu Mangrove Forest, an Air Kenya supported plan[23]
Notes
- Parliament of Kenya (29 November 2005), "Supplement No. 88: Forest Act, 2005 (Act No. 7 of 2005)", Kenya Gazette (PDF), Nairobi: Government of Kenya, pp. 229–305, archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2017
- Nelson, Peter; et al. (2007). Strategic Environmental Assrssment of the Kenya Forets Act 2005 (PDF). The World Bank. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 August 2012.
- Mbugua, David K. (2003). The forest revenue system and government expenditure on forestry in Kenya (PDF). Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- Njagih, Moses (20 August 2010). "Special fund to restore water towers created". Standard Digital. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Kenya Minister for Finance (30 July 2010). "The Government Financial Management (water Towers Conservation Funds) Regulations, 2010". Archived from the original on 8 August 2012.
- "Sh200 million to save Mau". Comiform. 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Mbugua 2003, p. xiii
- "Kenya Forest Service - MISSION AND VISION". www.kenyaforestservice.org. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- Parliament 2005, p. 236
- Parliament 2005, p. 241
- Parliament 2005, p. 237
- Parliament 2005, p. 242
- Parliament 2005, pp. 279–280
- The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Management Team (February 2002). "Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Strategic Forest Management Plan 2002-2027" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2012.
- "Improved livelihoods at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest in Kenya". BirdLife International. 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011.
- Peter, Christian Albert (23 January 2012). "Kenya Natural Resource Management Project P095050 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 16" (PDF). Washington, DC: World Bank. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Danyo, Stephen (2013). "Kenya Natural Resource Management Project P095050 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 18" (PDF). Washington, DC: World Bank. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2014.
- Redfern, Paul (22 February 2014). "NGOs force EA govts to stop evictions". The East African. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- Maina, Nelson M. (2010). "Sustainable Forest Management and Food Security" (PDF). Kenya Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Ngunjiri, Charles (7 February 2011). "Kereita Forest Management Plan Launched". Kenya Forest Service. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Ngunjiri, Charles (14 February 2011). "Get Involved To Reap Benefits From Forests". Kenya Forest Service. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012.
- Mangat, Rupi (2 May 2014). "Saving Nandi's age-old forests". The East African. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- "EAWLS in first-ever Kenya Mangrove Management Plan". Ndege News. Air Kenya. 13 December 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.