Between March and June 2008, a team comprising the Coordinator, Advisory Services, the Marketing Manager and Public Relations Manager has traversed different parts of the country sensitizing district authorities on the role of NFA and the need to work in partnership to conserve central forest reserves. Districts covered include Mpigi, Masaka, Mbale, Jinja, Mayuge, Nebbi, Yumbe, Mubende, Kyenjojo and Kibale.

Issues discussed evolved around the role of NFA i.e. managing and conserving central forest reserves and role of district authorities in the same. The traveling NFA team also sought to diffuse tensions that have typified the relationship between NFA and some communities, resulting from enforcement of the law against encroachment on forest reserves, illegal farming, charcoal burning, timber logging and other forms of illegal activity.

 In Mpigi and Masaka, the authorities have offered to avail thirty minutes of the time for the Council’s sessions for further sensitization by NFA about forestry-related issues. In the Mbale area, the district leaders expressed willingness to work with NFA to amicably resolve issues related with encroachment on Namatale forest reserve.

In the Mayuge area local leaders led by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr. John Fisher Kasenge, pledged to support to NFA to deal with an on-going problem of illegal human settlement in the South Busoga forest reserve which has also precipitated a spate of crime from time to time.

In Nebbi and Yumbe the district leaders asked NFA to increase support to communities to mitigate rampant poverty among forest-adjacent communities. NFA challenged the communities to form groups that can tap benefits like bee-keeping, tree-planting and regulated pit-sawing under Collaborative Forest Management to improve incomes of the locals.

The sensitization team also separately met NFA field staff in the above districts and empasised the need to work closely with political leaders in the districts and technical staff particularly the Chief Administrative Officers, District Forest Officers and District Environment Officers. The sensitization initiatives will continue with a program for other parts of Uganda having been drawn.