The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, section 28 provides that Central Forest Reserves must be managed in accordance with approved Forest Management Plans. This Forest Management Plan; has been prepared in consultation with relevant stakeholders including The District Local Governments of Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa, and the local communities. It is therefore anticipated to address the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.
The plan has also been prepared in accordance with the provisions in the national priorities outlined in the Constitution of Uganda, 1995, Uganda Forestry Policy (2001) National Forestry Plan (2012), the Vision 2040, the NDP III (2020-2025) and NFA Strategic Plan. This plan is also in line with internationally-ratified treaties, conventions and agreements in which Uganda is a signatory.
These include The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). This Forest Management Plan lays out the program for forest management in the period July 2021 to June 2031 (10 years) including the Vision, objectives, key activities and human and financial resources for implementation.
This Plan will involve all the stakeholders and partners in implementation ensuring the effective use of the limited resources through synergy. The plan shall provide benefits of responsible forest management to NFA as the lead agency, but above all socio-economic and environmental dividends to the communities and districts who are host to the forest resources.
In view of the aforementioned, I wish the stakeholders successful implementation of the Matiri Forest Management Plan.
Signature: ___________________________________ Date _______________
Hon. Sam Cheptoris
Minister of Water and Environment
AOP Annual Operations Plan
CAO Chief Administrative Officer
CBO Community Based Organisation
CFM Collaborative Forest Management
CFR Central Forest Reserve
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CSO Civil Society Organisation
CWC Conservation Working Circle
CUWC Community Use Working Circle
DDP District Development Plan
DEO District Environment Officer
DFO District Forest Officer
DFS District Forestry Services
DLG District Local Government
DNRO District Natural Resources Officer
ED Executive Director
EI Exploratory Inventory
EPPU Environment Police Protection Unit
ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations
FD Forest Department
FMP Forest Management Plan
FSC Forest Stewardship Council
FSSD Forestry Sector Support Department
FY Financial Year
GHG Green House Gases
GIS Geographical Information System
GPS Global Positioning System
IGA Income Generating Activities.
Ha Hectare
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
LC Local Councils
LG Local Government
M3 Cubic Metre
MEMD Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development
MM Millimetre
MoFPED Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPA Management Plan Area
MTN Mobile Telecommunication Network
MWE Ministry of Water and Environment
NAADS National Agricultural Advisory Services
NaFORRI National Forest Resources Research Institute
NEMA National Environment Management Authority
NFA National Forestry Authority
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NTFP Non Timber Forest Products
NWSC National Water and Sewerage Corporation
OPM Office of the Prime Minister
OWC Operation Wealth Creation
PSP Permanent Sample Plot
PWC Production Working Circle
RDC Resident District Commissioner
REDD+ Reduction of Emissions through Deforestation and forest Degradation
RM Range Manager
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
Spp Species
TEV Total Economic Valuation
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
UNRA Uganda National Roads Authority
UTB Uganda Tourism Board
UWA Uganda Wildlife Authority
The National Forestry Authority (NFA), wishes to acknowledge the contribution of all partners, institutions and individuals in the process of preparation and eventual production of this FMP. Special thanks go to the Technical Planning Team which consisted of Wilfred Tumwesige (the Sector Manager Matiri also Acting Manager Muzizi River Range); Mr. Tugume Brown-Secretary for Production and Environment- Kyenjojo District, Mr. Christopher Olike (DFO/Kyenjojo) and Ms. Sefurosa Nakyanzi (DFO/Kyegegwa) Mr.Chris Ainesasi Forest Supervisor Matiri Beat; who dedicated their time to collect and analyse data for the preparation of this plan.
My special gratitude goes to the Core Planning Team led by Zion Integrated Investments Ltd (ZIIL) consultants Robert Esimu (Team Leader and Forest Management Specialist), Levi A. Etwodu (Forest Management Specialist), and Charles Oleja (Finance, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist), and The Technical Assistants Mr. Joash Obbo Opata, Ms Lilian Nabatanzi, and Ms Flavia Byiringiro for the technical guidance given to the rest of the stakeholders during the planning process.
It would have been difficult to carry out this assignment without the blessing of the District Political Leaders of Kyenjojo District namely Mr. Apollo Bwembale, RDC- Kyenjojo, Mr. Gilbert Rubaihayo-Chairperson LCV, and Mr. Samuel Ruhweza Kaija –CAO and the technical staff of Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa Districts.
The Consultants team is grateful for the policy and technical guidance of the NFA senior management team led by the Executive Director, Mr. Tom Okello. Special thanks go to Mr Paul Buyerah – Director Policy and Planning; Mr Leo Twinomuhangi - Coordinator Planning and Mr Galima Stephen -Coordinator Natural Forest Management who directed the field planning activities and made constructive comments on the initial drafts of this FMP. Mr. Brian Bwanika (NFA Cartographer) for providing the required GIS data and maps timely.
Equally appreciated are the very essential contributions made by all other stakeholders including local communities living adjacent to the CFRs, the Private sector, CSOs, CBOs and NGOs who participated in the process. The contribution of all peer reviewers and participants in the validation process who enabled successful production of this FMP is hereby appreciated.
Finally, I wish all stakeholders successful implementation of the FMP.
…………………………………………………………………
Tom O. Okello
Executive Director
National Forestry Authority
“Authority” means the National Forestry Authority established by section 52 of the Forestry Act, 2003.
“Central Forest Reserve” means an area declared to be a central forest reserve under section 6 of the Forestry Act, 2003.
“Collaborative Forest Management” means a mutually beneficial arrangement in which a forest user group and a responsible body share roles, responsibilities and benefits in a forest reserve or part of it.
“Collaborative Management Agreement”: means an agreement signed under the Forestry Act for the purposes of defining a legally-binding agreement between the lead agency and a partner for the utilisation and management of a forest / forest resource;
“Forest” means an area of land containing a vegetation association that is predominantly composed of trees of any size, and includes:
(a) a forest classified under the Forestry Act, 2003;
(b) a natural forest, woodland or plantation;
(c) the forest produce in a forest; and
(d) the forest ecosystem
“Forestry” means the management and conservation of forests and trees, and includes the management land that does not have trees growing on it, but which forms part of an area reserved for or dedicated to forestry.
“Forest reserve” means an area declared to be a central or local forest reserve under the Forestry Act;
“Forest adjacent community” means any recognised administrative unit within which the forest reserve is located;
“Forest management” means the practical application of scientific, economic, and social forestry principles to the administration of forests for specific forestry objectives;
“Forest user group" means a group comprising members of a local community registered in accordance with Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) regulations;
“Inventory” means a survey carried out to determine, in a given area, the constitution, extent and condition of a forest or areas reserved for forestry;
A “licence” may be granted by the responsible body to an interested person for:
(a) right to access, cut, take, work or remove forest produce from a particular forest, and/or
(b) The sustainable utilisation and management of the forest reserve.
Such licenses are subject to the approved management plan, and in accordance with regulations, and prescribe the relevant terms, conditions, rights and fees. Such licenses do not transfer to or vest in the person granted a license, any privilege, right, title, interest or easement over the forest reserve, other than as stated in the terms of the license.
A “Local Community” is defined as including “persons and households living in close proximity to a forest and identified by common history, common culture or common residence and may, from time to time, include all the residents of a village which share a boundary with a forest.
“Local council” means local government councils and administrative unit councils established under the Local Government Act, 1997;
“Local Forest Management Committee” is a Committee established with the endorsement of the General Assembly of a legitimate and recognised body to act on its behalf, according to rules agreed by the General Assembly (i.e. in the Constitution / Articles of Association).
“Local government" or “local councils" means local government councils and administrative unit councils established under section 4(2) to Act No. 1 (5) of the Local Governments Act, 1997;
“Local forest reserve” means an area declared to be a local forest reserve under section 9 of the Forestry Act, 2003;
“Management plan” means a management plan for a forest prepared in accordance with section 28 of the Forestry Act;
“National Forest Plan” has the meaning assigned to it in section 49 of the Forestry Act;
“Non-Governmental Organisations” are not-for-profit organisations working for the public good that are approved by government but are not part of government.
“Private forest” means a natural forest or a plantation forest or area dedicated to forestry, registered under section 21 or 22 of the Forestry Act;
“Regulations” means regulations made under section 92 of the Forestry Act;
“Responsible Body” means a body designated to manage, maintain and control a forest reserve or a community forest under the Forestry Act and in the case of a private forest, the owner or person in charge of the forest.
Matiri Management Plan Area (MPA) is composed of six (6) Central Forest Reserves (CFRs) covering a total area of 16,953 Ha located in the districts of Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa. The CFRs include Matiri, Kitechura and Nkera in Kyenjojo district; Buhingiro and Rwensambya in Kyegegwa district; and Ibambaro that lies within both Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa districts. These CFRs are managed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA) as stipulated in the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003.
One of the requirements for sustainable management of CFRs is having in place an approved Forest Management Plan (FMP). This FMP is a strategic document that describes the long term and intermediate objectives and actions/programmes in the next 10 years from July 2021 to June 2031. The FMP consists of two parts.
Part 1 of the FMP incorporates the general description of the MPA and is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 gives the general description of the CFRs within the MPA including name, location areas, boundaries legal status, climate, vegetation, topography geology and soils among others.
Chapter 2 outlines the available resources in these CFRs in terms of total economic value of the forest, including potential timber and non-wood supplies, markets, growth statistics and yield; stakeholders involved, partnership arrangements, threats and conflicts witnessed, community use of forest products, existing infrastructure, staff, revenue and expenditure.
Chapter 3 deals with environmental conditions such as biodiversity status, ecological functions, and wetlands and other ecologically fragile areas, socio-cultural aspects, problems and issues. Chapter 4 covers the history of management of these CFRs since reservation and outlines the details of subsequent management plans and the infrastructure.
Part 2 is the core of the plan; comprised of six chapters (5-10) outlining the planned future management. In Chapter 5, the management Vision, mission and detailed management objectives are laid down.
The chapter prescribes short and long-term strategies and activities for 10-year period of this FMP. Chapter 6 outlines planned management activities within the CFRs in relation to production, conservation and community partnership and use outlined as working circles giving specific prescriptions for implementation.
The detailed description of the working circles covers diverse areas including silvi-culture, protection, harvesting, biodiversity, ecotourism, research, collaborative forest management (CFM), partnerships, human resource infrastructure and financial forecast and others. The detailed work in this section constitutes the bigger part of the plan.
The chapter prescribes the major activities to take place both within the natural forest and plantations. Chapter 7 brings out mitigation measures for environmental and social impacts of the planned implementation. It also tackles economic benefits to accrue to the local communities, the Local Governments (LGs) and the nation at large. Chapter 8 comes up with the proposed optimum organisational structure and necessary logistics to propel the MPA on a trajectory that will lead to achieving of the proposed work as laid down in Chapter 6.
Chapter 9 gives projections on revenue based on various sources and expenditure based on planned activities over the plan period. Chapter 10 looks at monitoring and evaluation of the planned interventions based on the broad indicators which will be specified in the AOP monitoring plans.
The appendices contain summaries of data used in the planning process; references, involved participants, local species, proposed criteria and indicators, plus a record of other relevant documents. This Forest Management Plan is prepared based on multiple use of the forests to meet socio-economic and environmental needs of the several stakeholders while also contributing to the National targets for sustainable development.
The plan attempts to depict the comprehensive values of the forest resources including hither to unrecognized monetary values of the forest services taken for granted in the national accounting systems. It is hoped that this will help raise the profile of the forest among the policy makers and other interested parties. Finally, the implementation of the plan will be adaptive bringing in emerging and important issues and stakeholders arising from the monitoring and the general implementation environment.