Hoima — Patrick Katabaazi,32, has a rice garden in Kasogoire Forest Reserve in Hoima District. "The soils here are very fertile, I expect to harvest more than 200 bags out of this (rice) garden" Mr Katabaazi says. He anticipates to earn about Shs2 million if he sales his harvest at 1,000 per kilogram. Little does he mind that his garden is in an environment conservation area.

He is among several people who the National Forestry Authority (NFA) officials are accusing of encroachment and failing the conservation efforts. This is after the NFA offered land in selected central forest reserves to private developers to plant trees for sustainable conservation efforts.

The NFA Bugongo System Range Manager, Mr David Mununuzi said the NFA offered over 900 acres of land to over 450 developers in Bunyoro sub- region to grow trees and supplement the government's efforts to conserve the environment.

Mr Mununuzi is, however, disappointed that some of the investors who were given leases to plant trees have instead turned into pit sawyers who illegally cut down trees and use the cleared land for crop farming. "It is a pity that some investors are cutting down trees in reserves instead of planting trees on the land we offered them, " Mr Mununuzi said.

He said private developers have joined encroachers to sabotage NFA's efforts to protect and utilise the forests in a sustainable manner. According to Mr Mununuzi, the encroachers are also engaged in poaching, ,setting up settlements in the forest reserve among others. Since 2005 NFA has been offering leases in forests reserves to interested private developers to plant trees.

The leases cover Budong, Bugoma, Rwesama, Kyahiguru, Kandandangobya, Bujaawe, Kasongoire, Kyamugongo, Ibamba, Guramwa, Ruzaire, Muziizi forest reserves in Hoima District. The investors were required to plant hard wood and fruit trees. Among the recommended hardwood tree species were eucalyptus, myzopsis, musizi, mvule and pine species.

NFA advertised for interested developers to apply for the land and technocrats at NFA received and evaluated the applications. Successful applicants signed agreements with NFA and a lease offer ranging from 25 years to 49 years was given to them after signing an acceptance offer. "The investors are required to adhere to the agreement and the letters of acceptance we signed with them but many of them are doing the contrary and we shall cancel their leases," Mr Mununuzi said.

The NFA Public Relations Officer, Mr Moses Watasa, said the purpose of the leases was to encourage investors to invest in tree growing. He said the initiative was intended to reduce the high rate of deforestation in various parts of the country that has contributed to environmental degradation. "The resource constraints at NFA did not allow for planting of trees in depleted reserves and in those forests without a thick vegetation cover. That is why we thought that private developers could help in the re-forestation project," Mr Watasa explained.

The developers are required to plant trees in more than half of the allocated land in the reserve in the first two years of the 49 year lease. "Many of them have not complied with this directive" Hoima NFA Sector manager Mazimakwo Kukundakwe, said. "We plan to evict over 20,000 encroachers in various reserves in Bunyoro sub region," Mr Mununuzi said. NFA is currently mobilising and sensitising the encroachers to vacate the forests.

Instead of planting trees, many investors have set up gardens, contrary to the terms of the leases. They have illegally set up rice, cassava, cotton, sorgum, maize and tobacco fields in the protected areas.

But the investors claim that they are searching for the money to procure the required tree seedlings to plant in the leased forest reserves. "I will use the money acquired from the sales of these crops to plant trees as per the NFA agreement," Mr Sam Mugisa, one of the developers, who acquired land in Bujaawe Forest Reserve, said. Ms Kukundakwe said the demand for tree seedling is high in the district.

"In partnership with Eco Trust and we offered some tree seedlings to framers but the demand is overwhelming. So in the interim, the developers may opt to use their leases to plant crops in the reserves ," she said.

NFA estimates that for an investor to plant one hectare of trees, the investor incurs a cost of Shs1.2 million to clear the ground, procure seedlings, pesticides, pay workers and demarcate the land.

Some investors reportedly applied and acquired big chunks of land which they could not meet the costs of planting trees in. "We are reviewing all the agreements we signed with the investors and after the exercise we shall take an administrative decision," Ms Kukundakwe said.

NFA is in the process of cancelling many of the leases. The lease agreements state that NFA reserves the right to cancel the lease for any investor who contravenes the agreed terms of reference.