GRAND KRU — Grand Kru County has been rallied by the Regional Forester of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to take urgent and sustained action to protect the county's shrinking forest resources.

Evans Kaitanba made the appeal to citizens of Grand Kru in an interview with our correspondent.

Kaitanba, who heads Region Five, a newly demarcated forestry zone covering Grand Kru, Maryland, and River Gee counties, warned that illegal logging, poaching, and destructive farming practices are accelerating environmental degradation and threatening both livelihoods and biodiversity.

"The forest is not only a national asset but a lifeline for future generations," Kaitanba told this outlet in an exclusive interview. "Excessive felling of trees and hunting of endangered species such as lions and elephants is pushing our biodiversity to the brink."

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He cited charcoal production and "slash-and-burn" farming as major drivers of deforestation, urging farmers to adopt lowland farming methods as a sustainable alternative to clearing upland forests.

Kaitanba stressed the need for a collective change in mindset, encouraging communities to see the forest as a shared inheritance rather than a resource for unchecked exploitation.

"Every tree felled and every animal hunted has consequences that ripple across generations," he cautioned.

According to him, the establishment of Region Five is part of a broader national strategy to decentralize operations and strengthen forest law enforcement. He revealed that upcoming community engagement programs will focus on environmental education and promoting community-led conservation.

Reaffirming the FDA's commitment, Kaitanba said the agency will work closely with local leaders, youth groups, and traditional authorities to develop homegrown solutions. "The responsibility to safeguard our forests is collective," he concluded. "And it starts now."