The Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Forestry Commission has inaugurated Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) Executive members in Juaboso, Akontombraman and Asuo Bia Nkyirima in the Sefwi Juaboso District, Sefwi Akontombra District and Bia West Districts in the Western Region.

In a welcome address on behalf of the Western Regional Minister, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sefwi Juaboso District, Madam Martha Kwayie Manu applauded the ministry of lands and natural resources and forestry commission of the wildlife division for the inauguration of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA). she added that the inauguration was timely as they have enviable environment and rich natural resources which needed to be protected.

She hinted that the Western Region can really boast of natural resources such as forest reserves with rich biodiversity and other tourist sites, abundant fish, bush meat, mineral deposits and arable land.

"The most challenging to the Region was, how to ensure that we don’t loose these resources and their functions which are critical for our very survival and sustenance", she said.

Madam Manu further bemoaned the increasing rate of galamsey and forest degradation in the region.

In his inauguration address, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allortey said the process of utilizing the resources to meet a range of needs, the natural resources have been severely disturbed.

This raises serious concerns for future economic development and sustained livelihood of the local communities.

Its in light of the continuing disturbances of our natural resource bases that local communities were being empowered formally to play leading roles in taking good care of these resources in order to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.

Mr. Allortey said, the decline in natural resources and wildlife in particular has been due to the some factors which must be stopped to avoid further destruction such as the control of the natural resources and acts by humans such as bush fires, shifting cultivation with short fallow periods to loss of soil fertility and hence clearing of the more land that facilitated by irresponsible and unauthorized chainsaw operations and galamsey, leading to the destruction of wildlife habitat and biodiversity loss.

"The needs and principles enshrined in the policy, the forestry commission of Ghana adopted the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) concept", he added.

The Operations Director for wildlife division of forestry commission, Dr. Andrews Kyei Agyare said, under the forest investment programmes, the forestry commission has been facilitating establishment of three Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) within the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional area.

The three CREMAs have been established out of seven potential CREMAs were Akontombraman, Juaboso district and Asuo Bia Nkyirima CREMAs.

Dr. Agyare said, CREMA is for us and by us therefore a consensual constitution to guide the government of the CREMA has also been developed for and by the communities themselves and duly validated.

He revealed "A management plan for each CREMA also needs to be prepared and the forestry commission would do its best to facilitate its production in due course to guide natural resources management within the CREMAs".