The Forestry Department Authority(FDA) and partners recently ended a 2-day inception workshop for the “SUSTAIN – Sustainable forest conservation in southeastern Liberia” project.
Subsequently, a 3-day coordination meetings for Grebo-Krahn, Sapo and Proposed Kwa National Parks took place in Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County. These events were held in Region Four at the FDA Regional Office at the Zwedru Palace on April 25-30,2025.
With financial support from the European Union through the SUSTAIN project (which is led by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation in partnership with the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia and Universal Outreach Foundation), the meetings brought together experts with vast experience in the forest sector, as well as key local government officials including the Superintendents from four Southeast counties-Grand Gedeh, Rivercess, River Gee and Sinoe. Also in attendance were county attorneys from these counties.
The Deputy Managing Director for Community, Conservation and Carbon, Nora G. Bowier, led the FDA team including the Consultant on Forest Governance, E. Ekema A. Witherspoon, Jerry Yonmah, Technical Manager for Conservation, Yarsa Varnie Okai, Administrative Assistant to the DMDCCC, Evangeline Swope, Protected Area Manager , Comfort Sakui, Manager for Awareness and Ecotourism, Musa O. Lymas, Head of Public Affairs Division, Gertrude B. Wilson, Community Development and FDA drivers.
During the SUSTAIN inception workshop, WCF turned over several items to FDA to be used in various protected areas to empower FDA to ensure sustainable protected area management. Those items included laptops, printers, projectors, and motorcycles.
Madam Bowier, on behalf of Managing Director Rudolph J. Merab, Sr., appreciated the gesture and promised that they will be used for the intended purpose.
The workshop aimed at ensuring smooth project implementation and better coordination and collaboration between project partners and beneficiaries.
One of the facilitators at the meetings, Borwen L. Sayon, team leader of the Nature Compact, lectured the participants on the sustainable forest conservation project, communication, coordination, cooperation, local ownership, collaboration, and proper financial management. He also spoke about effective protected areas and forest management.
Earlier, the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) gave the overview of the “SUSTAIN: Sustainable Forest Conservation in Southeastern Liberia” project and other projects currently being implemented by WCF.
During the meetings, some key challenges were highlighted, such as the interferences of traditional authority in the Grebo–Krahn National Park in the Konobo District, where they have been preventing FDA and partners from entering in the protected forest; the deforestation by cocoa farmers around protected areas which will also cause massive economic loss for Liberia, considering the European Union regulation on deforestation-free products and the fact that cocoa from Southeastern Liberia cannot be sold on the European market, which is by far the largest cocoa market on the world.
WCF and other partners- the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia and Universal Outreach Foundation, also made participants to understand that in the various projects, there are packages for communities in terms of livelihood benefits, such as village saving and loan schemes for local women, conservation enterprises, beekeeping, scholarships, as well as green jobs for local community members, community ecoguards, FDA auxiliaries, and biomonitors.
In response, the four superintendents appreciated FDA and partners, but wanted FDA and Partners to make sure that those activities outlined be implemented so that the livelihood benefits of the people can improve.
For his part, the Superintendent of Sinoe County, Peter Wleh Nyensuah, wants President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to declare a state of emergency for all illegal mining in protected forest areas, most especially Sapo National Park, where he and his team just visited and ordered everyone to leave the forest with immediate effect.
The four superintendents and county attorneys promised to enforce the law in helping to protect the forest along with FDA and partners, but those affected communities must receive benefits promised them, so that the work of FDA and partner can go on smoothly.
The four superintendents, Alex Chersia Grant, Mike Swengbe, Peter Wleh Nyensuah and Bryon W. Zahnwea, want FDA and forest partners to get them fully involved when it comes to activities in the forest sector in their respective counties. This will allow them t help to give account of what is happening in these counties. However, excluding them from forest activities, they said is not favorable to FDA and partners because they are the eyes of the government in their various counties.
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