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Kenya lifts ban on timber harvesting

Xinhua, February 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya on Monday said it would lift the ban on timber harvest which was imposed in order to curb the unsustainable exploitation of forest resources.

The lift would be effective from Tuesday, said Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Judi Wakhungu, adding that the decision has followed an audit conducted by stakeholders of the forestry industry.

The official said that in order to develop and grow the timber industry, allocation of forest plantation material would be restricted to those who have demonstrated capacity for investments.

Kenya's forest sector plays a significant role in rural areas where resource harvesting brings goods and services to local communities, she said.

The East African nation instituted a ban on timber harvesting on Dec. 20, 2014. Endi