THE SIRLEAF ADMINISTRATION, early this month, released Executive Order No. 1 to address the problems of the troubled forestry industry of Liberia. Drawing its authority from the Constitution of Liberia as they relate to other international instruments and mandates and the need for transparency and accountability, the Administration made it clear that has adopted and incorporated by reference the recommendations and findings of the Forest Concession Review Committee.

The findings and recommendation, it says, are contained in the committee's May 31, 2005 reports.

THE GOVERNMENT IN the 10-point Executive Order called for the total involvement of its agencies in order to ensure that Liberia's forest resources are protected and appropriately exploited for the maximum benefits of the people. It them proceeded to establish the Forestry Reform Monitoring Committee. This committee will be led by the Forestry Development Authority with the participation and assistance of the Liberia Forest Initiative. The committee's 11-point mandate includes identifying appropriate land areas for establishing a concession system based on land-use planning principles, establishing an appropriate chain of custody system that tracks logging operators from the point of enumeration to export; and most importantly, and working with the international community to define an appropriate tax system (based on international timber prices) and equitable sharing of the benefits with local communities and institute that system.

MOST IMPORTANT OF all, to us, are the committee's responsibility to establish procedures for investigation, draft appropriate remedies, and take legal action for financial and tax fraud and human rights abuses. What also caught our attention is the new committee's mandate to take measures to institutionalize the participation of communities and civil society in forest management in a transparent manner, including without limitation access to information, mandate public participation, and to protect the citizen's right to file lawsuits to redress violations of law.

WE ARE IMPRESSED by the establishment of the Forestry Reform Monitoring Committee for two reasons. The first reason is the Committee will work with the international community to ensure that proper mechanisms are put into place leading to the lifting of the timber sanctions imposed on the country some five years ago. We are especially glad because the Sirleaf Administration has taken the bull by the horns for the benefits of this economically devastated nation and its people. The second, which is our ace reason, is that at long last, after decades of exploitation of our poor masses by so-called "partners in progress", Liberians living in areas whence forest products are extracted almost all year round will benefit from the ecological disaster they were made to continence in the past without redress.

OUR IMPRESSION IS advised by the fact that with their newfound legal right to become responsible, counted, and respected partners in the exploitation of their natural habitats and the desecration of their tribal land and shrines that went with impunity in the past, rural dwellers will feel part of the overall reconstruction of this country. We are elated that no longer will forest concessions scrap the earth barely to extract logs and leave behind a devastated ecological balance without being answerable to the owners of the land. For instance, dwellers of concession areas will be able to negotiation the construction of schools, health posts, guaranteed roads, job placement, and other compensations for land tenure and use. They will no longer be handed decisions crafted in conspiracy with greedy politicians in Monrovia for kickbacks and enforceable by ruthless armed militias. The will negotiation and when they feel their safety and happiness are not guaranteed, they will go to the law in prayer for indemnity in keeping with international law and standards. No, it will no longer be a peasant-master relationship where politicians benefit and the people are left to wrestle with total and sometimes vicious strangers as it were with the Oriental Timber Company and many other timber companies that operated in River Gee, Sinoe, Gbarpolu, Lofa, Bong, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh counties.

WHILE IT HAS become impossible for us to hide our ecstasy for this new development which we believe is the starting of the lifting of timber sanctions against Liberia, we want to let the past be the guide for all - government, civil society, and would-be concessionaires. We recall that the Taylor Administration sought to impress the international community by announcing new plans promising that the government would let 50% timber revenue remain in the county of operation. Like the fiasco it was intended to be, that policy never left the realm of rhetoric and deception. By the time Taylor was chased out of power in 2003, no single county received and used its 50% share.

IT IS OUR hope that this will not happen such that the new committee becomes a paper tiger. For now, we will say it is a commendable first step that must be nurtured for where it fails, it is not unlikely that other attractive plans will follow suit.