FORESTRY COMMISSION TINTE BEPO FOREST RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN ( Mankranso Forest District) MARCH,2016 FOREWORD The constitution of each forest reserve mandated the then Forestry Department to develop working plans to be able to effectively and efficiently manage, protect and develop forest and wildlife resources in each of these reserves to benefit all segments of society. Nevertheless, a century of evolution of Forest Policy formulation, institutional transformation and management, including development and protection has given birth to a trendy and sophisticated societal demand on the forests of Ghana. These developments require the reinvigoration and revision of the existing working plans which were written, taking into consideration the socio-economic and cultural issues prevailing at that time. The policy and the legal framework which prevailed at the time of the constitution of these reserves emphasized on the contribution of forestry to environmental management inter alia the protection of water bodies and their sources, providing the necessary environment for our agricultural practices, prevention of erosion in mountainous areas and preservation of bio-diversity. This framework engendered the then Forestry Department to a non-participatory approach to resource management culminating in policing and less regard to the stakeholders. Over a period, forest and wildlife resources management regimes have undergone substantial changes in conformity with modern developmental trends, more especially international conventions and ramifications. Consequently, the FC has thought it wise to revise these working plans to reflect these ramifications, technologies, geo-spatial information systems and rules and regulations. Furthermore, the new plans are intended to achieve the aims of multipurpose and sustainable use of forest and wildlife resources, promotion of i ecotourism, Voluntary Partnerships Agreements with the European Union, climate change, carbon trade and participatory management, using participatory and collaborative interventions with the use of technology to reduce transaction cost and for effective management. Again, forest policies, master plans and legislation have also undergone great reviews, giving new directions to affect forest and wildlife management and utilization, hence the need for updated management plans. Furthermore ACT 571 re-established The Forestry Commission of Ghana which brought together hitherto different organizations mandated to protect, manage and regulate the nation's forests and wildlife resources and to provide for related matters. Therefore, suffice me to inform all stakeholders that these ramifications have obliged FC to develop and implement this management plan for sustainable and effective management and utilization of our forest and wildlife resources with more emphasis on plantation development, improvement in carbon stock under the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Bio-Diversity Conservation Programmes. ii Chief Executive of Forestry Commission- Mr. Samuel Afari Dartey iii PREFACE Forest Management issues are of great concern globally due to high demand of forest resources and ever increasing population. As a result of this, the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission is facing challenges in managing the nation’s forest resources. This underscores the need to revise the old management plan in order to address these challenges to fit in the modern trends of event. This document supersedes the previous management plan for Tinte Bepo Forest Reserve. It is hoped that with the co-operation of all stakeholders – Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, TUC Holders, Chiefs, the various District Assemblies where the Reserve is located and the Forest Fringe Communities, this management plan will be well executed to achieve the expected objectives. The management plan was written by the District Forest Manager of Mankranso, Mr. Rexford Twum-Damoah, assisted by Messrs Yaw Opare Addo and Kwabena Adu- Bonnah, Assistant District Managers and Mr. Ofori Manu, Cartographer. The following Managers from the Regional Office were instrumental in preparation of the plan: Mr. Alex Oduro-Barnie, Regional Manager and Messrs Isaac Noble Eshun and Isaac Adonteng, Assistant Regional Managers. Mr. Alex Boamah Asare, Mr. Mohammed Yakubu and Mr. Affum Baffoe, all of the RMSC-FC contributed to the preparation of this plan. A technical Group made up of Mr. Raphael Yeboah, Executive Director of FSD, Mr. Alex Boadu, Director of Operations, Mr. H.C.A. Brown, Director of Plantations, Mr. Edward Obiaw, Director of RMSC, Dr. Kwakye Ameyaw and Mrs. Edith Abruquah, Operation Managers of FSD, Dr Richard Gyimah, Verification Manager at TVD-FC, Mr. Ofoe Portuphy of the ICT Department, Mrs. Diana Fiati, Mr. Kofi Adu Gyamfi and Yaw Bio of Operations Unit of FSD provided technical support for the preparation of the Plan. We are very grateful to the world Bank under theNREG-TA and candidly thank them for providing support for the plans preparation. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD………………………………………………………………...............i PREFACE……………………………………………………………………..........iv ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYMS…………………………………...…….…xi PART I:BACKGROUND INFORMATION………………………………....…...1 1.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION…………………………………….……..……1 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF FOREST MANAGEMENT AREA………….…..…......2 1.2.1 Location and Extent………………………………………….…..…2 1.2.2 Physical Environment……………………………………….…..….3 1.2.3 Ownership………………………………………………...……..….5 1.2.4 Communities and Socio-cultural Setting………………….....……..6 1.2.5 Socio-economic Activities…………………………….……....…...6 1.2.5.1 Demography…………………...…………………..….…….6 1.2.5.2 Proposed Income Levels and Expenditure…………......…...7 1.2.5.3 Land Use and Ownership………………………………..….8 1.2.6 Stakeholders Analysis, Roles and Responsibility……………...…...8 1.2.6.1 Stakeholders, Roles and Responsibility………………..….10 1.3. PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT OF THE AREA ………………..….......10 1.3.1 General objectives of Past Working Plan……………………...….11 1.3.2 Management categories……………………………………..….…11 1.3.2.1 Production (Selection) Working Circle (SWC)……..…….11 1.3.2.2 Protection Working Circle (PWC)………………..…….…11 1.4. CURRENT STATUS OF FOREST RESERVE………..………...……..12 1.4.1 Flora Description…………………………………………….…….12 1.4.1.1Floristic Composition and Biodiversity……………..…...…12 1.4.1.2 Forest Condition……………………………………...……13 1.4.1.3 Species Composition………………………………...…….14 v 1.4.1.4 Species Guild…………………………………………..….16 1.4.2 Fauna Description…………………………………...…….…16 1.4.3 Carbon stocks…………………………………...…………...17 PART II: EVALUATION OF OPTIONS…………………….…………….........19 2.1 PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES OF FOREST MANAGEMENT…19 2.1.1 Forest Management Principles……………………………........…19 2.1.2 Current Forest Management Objectives……………………….......20 2.1.3 SWOT Analysis of Objectives……………………………...……..20 2.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF MANAGEMENT OPTIONS……..........23 2.2.1 PRODUCTION OBJECTIVE:………………………………..…...24 PROTECTION OBJECTIVE:………………………………….….....…24 REFORESTATION OBJECTIVE:……………………………….….….24 GOVERNANCE AND BENEFIT SHARING OBJECTIVES:…......….24 2.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:…………………………………………..…25 2.4. SUPPORTING AUXILLIARY OBJECTIVES………………………...25 PART III: MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTION…………………………...…….28 Forest Management Zones…………………………..……………………………....27 3.1 PRODUCTION…………………………………….……….……..………29 3.1.1 Timber Production…………………………………………….…...29 3.1.2 Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)…………………………….29 3.1.3 Natural Regeneration Operations and Enrichment Planting………30 3.1.3.1 Undertake Natural Regeneration of Economically Desirable Timber Species……………………………………………...….….30 3.1.3.2 Undertake Enrichment Planting……………………………30 3.1.3.3 Undertake Coppice Management………………………….31 3.2 PROTECTION………………………………………...………….....…….31 3.2.1 Boundary Protection…………………………………...…………..31 3.2.2 Forest Biodiversity Conservation (Flora and Fauna)…….....….….31 3.2.3 Hill Sanctuary……………………………………………...………32 vi 3.2.4 Swamp Area……………………………………………..…….…..32 3.2.5 Watershed Management……………………………………….…..32 3.2.6 Wildfire Management…………………………………………..…33 3.2.7 Management of Invasive Species………………………………....33 3.3 REFORESTATION………………………………….…………….…..….33 3.3.1 Reforestation of Degraded Area………………………….......……33 3.3.2Maintenance of Established Plantations………………………...….34 3.4 GOVERNANCE AND BENEFIT SHARING…………………………...35 3.4.1 Admitted Farms…………………………………..……….……….35 3.4.2 Communal / Domestic Rights………………………….…….....…35 3.4.3 Alternative Livelihood Interventions……………….…….…….…36 3.4.4 Law Enforcement……………………..………………….………..36 3.4.5 Benefit Sharing………………….…………………….…………..36 3.5 RESEARCH PRESCRIPTIONS………………………………………....37 3.6 INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT……………………........…...37 3.6.1 Road and Track Network:………………………………..….…….37 3.6.2 Building:…………………………………………………………...38 3.6.3 Logistics…………………………………………………..…….…38 3.6.4 Telecommunication Mast………………………………...…….....38 3.6.5 Office Equipments:………………………………………………..38 3.7 HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR FIELD OPERATIONS……….………..…38 PART IV: PLANT IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION 4.1 MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION…………………….….…...40 4.1.1 Implementation Arrangements……………………………………….…….…40 4.2 COSTS AND REVENUE FLOW DISTRIBUTION……………….…….…43 4.2.1 Cost Estimates…………………………………………………….…….…….43 4.2.2 Sources of Revenue…………………………………………………….….….47 4.2.3 Revenue Prediction…………………………………………………….……...47 4.2.4 Revenue Disbursement Arrangement…………………………………….…...48 4.2.5 Funding Sources………………………………………………………………48 vii 4.3 MONITORING,