Mr. Emmanuel Mante, a specialist in natural resource management of the Rural Infrastructure Coordinating Unit has called on community leaders to help protect natural resources. He was addressing more than 45 stakeholders at a one-day forum on natural resource management organized by the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment at Nkoranza. The project, sponsored by the World Bank, has selected 33 communities in Nkoranza District to promote forestation and development of tourist sites. Mr. Mante said the CBRDP would train and provide logistics to local fire volunteers to fight bushfires and called on opinion leaders to lead the people to plant trees. Mr. James Kwabena Appiah-Awuah, District Chief Executive, expressed concern about rampant bush burning, indiscriminate felling of trees and sand winning in the district. He commended the CBRDP for building schools in three communities as well as rehabilitating some feeder roads in the district. The project is also helping to maintain and develop the Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary, slave trade markets at Bono-Manso, Dandwa waterfalls and the iodine mineral river at Senya. Mr. Clement Kojo Nminibapiel, specialist in national rural enterprise development project said a special micro-credit scheme had been designed to help beneficiary communities. He advised the people to engage in bee keeping, snail and mushroom production, livestock and poultry keeping, gari processing and edible oil extraction.Source: GNA