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Aberdare Forest Reserve Management Plan

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Aberdare Forest Reserve Management Plan Aberdare Forest Reserve Management Plan 2010 - 2019 FOREWORD The Aberdare Forest Reserve management plan was developed to guide the establishment, development and sustainable management, including conservation and rational utilization of the forest and allied resources for socio-economic development. The plan is prepared in compliance with the legal requirement of the Forests Act, 2005 under section 35 which provides a mandatory legal requirement for preparation of management plans for management of all State, Local Authority and provisional forests. The plan also takes cognizance of various documents which include the draft Forest Policy No. 9 of 2005; KFS Strategic Plan 2009/10 – 2013/14; the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), 1999; the Wildlife (Conservation and Management) Act, Cap. 376; and the Water Act, 2002 among other policies and legislative frameworks whose objectives have a direct impact on sustainable conservation, management and utilization of Aberdare Forest Reserve. The process of developing the plan started in 2004 at a Scoping Meeting held at Out Span Hotel, Nyeri by key stakeholders with an aim of developing an integrated management plan. The planning process embraced consultative and participatory approaches in conservation and management of natural resources that will lead to ownership of the initiatives by the stakeholders. During the planning process, several consultative workshops and meetings were held culminating with the development of the Draft Aberdare Forest Ecosystem Integrated management Plan. Due to the time involved in the consultative process of refining the Integrated Ecosystem Management Plan and the legal requirement under the Forests Act 2005 that all forests are managed on the basis of an approved management plan, KFS started a parallel process to develop a management plan for Aberdare Forest Reserve. This plan is informed by reports developed during the consultative process. The plan will be reviewed after 5 years and amendments undertaken as needs arise. Both Review and amendments will be carried out in conformity with the plan objectives by KFS in consultation with other stakeholders. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This plan covers the Aberdare Forest Reserve, Kipipiri Escarpment, Kikuyu Escarpment, South Laikipia, Ol-Bollosat, Kirima-Muruai, Nyamweru, Nyeri Hill, Nyeri forest, Kijabe hill, Mugumo South, Mugumo North and Kingatua forest all referred to as Aberdare Forest Reserve (AFR) in this document. The whole forest reserve is gazetted as central government forests vide various legal notices as per individual blocks indicated above. Aberdare Forest Reserve which is part of the Aberdare ecosystem plays a critical role in water catchment functions for the country and is one of the five main “water towers” in Kenya. Eastern of the mountain is the catchment for Tana and Athi River while north eastern slopes form the catchment area for Ewaso Nyiro River which transverses through the dry areas of Laikipia and Isiolo as it drain into the Lorian Swamp. Malewa River on the western side of the mountain range drains into Lake Naivasha. Aberdare range supplies all the water to Nairobi through Sasumua and Ndakaini dam. Together with Mt Kenya, the bulk of the country’s hydroelectric schemes along the Tana River rely on water from these catchments. Many small weirs have been installed in the forest to supply water to the forest adjacent communities. The plan is prepared in compliance with the legal requirement under section 35 of the Forests Act, 2005 which provides a mandatory legal requirement for preparation of management plans. It embraces collaborative and participatory approaches in conservation and management of natural resources that will lead to ownership of the initiatives by the stakeholders. The plan supports sustainable utilization of natural resources by promoting environmental friendly activities, while enhancing biodiversity conservation. The plan addresses the constraints and challenges that pose great threat to the sustainability of Aberdare Forest reserve which include-: illegal logging, encroachment, over exploitation of plantations that is not matched with replanting, fire, bhang growing, plantation development and wildlife conflicts. Aberdare is recognized as potential tourist destination and measures to enhance the development of ecotourism facilities have been addressed. The purpose of this management plan is to enhance conservation and management of biodiversity, water catchment and economic values of Aberdare Forest Reserve. This will be achieved through implementation of twelve development programmes addressing priority thematic areas. The development programmes include natural forest management, forest plantation development, bamboo development, watershed management, Tourism development, farm forestry development, community participation, protection and security, infrastructure development, research and monitoring, human resource development and Aberdare fence management programme. In addition an implementation programme has been included to provide the means of resource mobilization and plan implementation organization structure. 3 APPROVAL PAGE This integrated management plan is approved for implementation and will be amended as need arises. ...................................................................... Director, KENYA FOREST SERVICE Date ............................................................. TABLE OF CONTENT FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................................. 2 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 GOAL AND PUPORSE ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 JUSTIFICATION OF THE PLAN ............................................................................................................ 7 1.3 APPROACH TO PLAN DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................ 8 1.4 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN ...................................................................................................... 8 1.5 FUNDING OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN ........................................................................................... 9 2 LEGAL STATUS GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND BIOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ...................................... 1 2.1 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STATUS .............................................................................................. 1 2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION .............................................................................................................. 2 2.3 BIOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................. 3 2.4 SOCIO - ECONOMIC STATUS ........................................................................................................... 11 2.5 STAKEHOLDERS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................................................. 13 2.5 THREATS AND CONSTRAINTS.......................................................................................................... 15 3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 19 3.1 POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................... 19 3.2 LINKS TO MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS (MEAS) ............................................... 25 3.3 LINKS TO THE COUNTRY’S PLANNING PROCESS .............................................................................. 27 3.4 PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... 28 4 RATIONALE FOR ABERDARE FOREST RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLANNING .................................... 29 3.5 VALUE OF THE FOREST RESERVE ..................................................................................................... 29 3.7 PROBLEM ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................. 32 3.8 FOREST RESERVE MANAGEMENT ZONATION ............................................................................................. 33 3.9 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................... 34 4. MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES ......................................................................................... 36 4.1 NATURAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME ....................................................................................... 36 4.2 PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME .............................................................................................. 40 4.3 BAMBOO DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME ....................................................................... 44 4.4 WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME .............................................................................................. 46 4.5 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ................................................................................................... 50 4.6 FARM FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ........................................................................................
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