For Ben Mugambi  and members of the Kenya Birdnet
 
Hi Ben,   I forwarded the relevant section of your recent e.mail regarding
the destruction in. the Gatamaiyu Forest to Rhino Ark and to KWS Chairman
(Colin Church)   Herewith his reply for your info.  
I have also forwarded the same info. to the Kenya Forest Working Group.
 
Hopefully, some action will be taken?
 
However, it does show that 'birders' can play a useful role in monitoring
and reporting on environmental changes.   
 
With best wishes.
 
Heather Elkins   
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Colin Church [mailto:colin@africaonline.co.ke] 
Sent: 26 June 2004 21:51
To: ELKINS Heather (RELEX)
Subject: Re: Gatamaiyu Forest 
 
Heather

Ben Mugambi's report is disturbing.  I am seeing the Minister this week and
will give it to him personally to emphaise the trouble we are facing in
forest areas whilst the Forest Bill remains a fiction as the various
coalition MPs use it as a bargaining tool for their internecine battles.
What pettiness and lack of real concern.

As for the gates, these are manned by Forest Department and not KWS.  KWS
has fence attendants looking after the fence but under the FD/KWS MOU, non
National Park areas of the Aberdare Conservation Area are under FD control.

There is still massive work to do with the Community as to what should and
should not happen within the forest.

Still the Minister will have this report for sure and please thank Ben
Mugambi for it.

I will also see what we can do through James Githui, the ANP fence warden re
the Community protocols about access.  I am due to visit Gatamayiu soon as
the unused funds (3 m) in the BCP programme; and which have been submitted
as requested by the CDTF Chairman on the commissioning day includes a budget
for a water tank to assist the tree nursey project in addition to building a
further three kms of fence line. .  We have already told the Community that
completion of the extra gates they were supposed to put in within the 14 kms
must be done before we start the water tank.

See you soon hopefully.

Colin





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