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The Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) has outlined its agenda for 2026, focusing on sustainable management and protection of the country's forest estate.
This was the outcome of a two-day retreat to review the previous year's performance and set objectives for the current year.
The meeting was attended by the division's management team, comprising Regional and District Managers.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, in his remarks, congratulated the management team on their achievements in 2025, despite limited resources, and expressed confidence in further improvements in productivity in 2026.
He highlighted successes in combating illegal mining, the Tree for Life initiative, and the issuance of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licence, Ghana's second country to achieve this globally.
Dr Brown emphasised the need for legal backing to protect Ghana's forest estate and called for the transition to a whole military apparatus.
He also presented the commission's revised Vision Statement, focusing on sustainable management, protection and development of Ghana's forests and wildlife resources.
The CEO identified five key pillars for his tenure: enhancing forest protection and law enforcement, scaling up reforestation and forest restoration, promoting ecotourism and environmental services, biodiversity conservation, and supporting multi-stakeholder collaboration and technological innovation.
The acting Executive Director of the FSD of the FC, Dr Gordon Kofi Sarfo-Adu, expressed optimism for 2026 and called for renewed commitment, clarity of purpose, and sustainable excellence in forest protection and governance.
He highlighted the division's core mandate and successes in areas such as revenue mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, and field monitoring.
The retreat featured presentations from senior officials and solidarity statements from various departments, discussing strategies for achieving the division's objectives in 2026.
The event concluded with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to enhance collaboration in delivering the division's mandate.
