Forest Development Authority: Reforestation of about 180 hectares in fire-affected areas in Al-Ghab
Hama, (ST) – The General Authority for Forest Management and Development is making great efforts to protect forests from all forms of encroachment and to expand the vegetation cover in areas that were exposed to fires during the past two years.
The Director General of the authority, Eng. Ofa Wassouf said to SANA that the protection of forests and forested areas is a priority in the authority’s work, because preserving them from multiple encroachments such as fires, logging and overgrazing contributes to preserving forest wealth and keeping the area clean, and increases its picturesque nature. He indicated that forests in Al-Ghab region is a national wealth that everyone must cooperate and to protect in order to increase the vegetation cover in this area.
In turn, the Director of Natural Resources at the Authority Fayez Al-Muhammad said that about 180 hectares were reforested in the sites that were exposed to encroachments and fires during the last period, and they were planted with more than 100,000 saplings of various forest species msinly in the sites of Jurin, Shatha, Ain al-Krum, Annab and Maarin al-Salib.
He indicated that 25,000 various forest saplings were also distributed free of charge to citizens in order to plant the. in their areas, especially those that witnessed fires or unjust logging.
Al-Mohammed pointed out that this year fire roads were also built for a distance of four kilometers out of the total planned plan, which amounts to 13.5 kilometers, in preparation for the fire season, in rugged and difficult-to-reach places, and the necessary plan is currently being prepared to confront fires that usually break out in summer. He indicated that citizens’ cooperation and timely reporting of violations played an important role in suppressing the violations against the forest wealth.
Raghda Sawas