The Omanhene of the Abrem Traditional Area, Nana Kyiriwia Kodie Ababio III, on Saturday appealed to chiefs to help protect and preserve the country's few existing forest reserves.

He made the appeal at a public forum organised by the Cape Coast Diocese of the Catholic Church in conjunction with the Forestry Services and the Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) to mark the celebration of the "Arbor" Week in the district on the theme: "One tree does not constitute a forest."

Nana Ababio said ineffective control of logging, bush burning and the activities of chain-saw operators and charcoal burners were destroying the forests.

He urged Ghanaians, especially the youth to step up public education on the need to preserve the forests and advised farmers to engage in sustainable farming practices.

In an address read for him, the District Chief Executive, Nana Ato Arthur appealed to land owners and chiefs to release land to both local and foreign investors to enable them to go into agro-forestry.

The DCE cautioned the people against the indiscriminate setting of bush fires and urged the people to plant trees in their communities and nurture them to maturity saying, "When we fell trees, let us remember to plant many more to replace those we have felled."

The Cape Coast Zonal Officer of the ADRA, Mr. Kwadwo Ampim-Darko said his organisation was providing assistance to many communities to undertake agro-forestry projects throughout the country because of the importance of forests to the ecology.

Mr Ampim-Darko made available 2,000 cassia seedling that were planted to mark the occasion.