CHAPTER VI 

 THE GOLD COAST 



Area, 80,000 square miles. 



During 1909, a most interesting and exhaustive Report on the 

 Forest of the Gold Coast, as well as Ashanti and the Northern Terri- 

 tories, was written by Mr. H. N. Thompson, the Chief Conservator of 

 Forests of Nigeria. As a result of this Report, a Forest Department 

 was formed in 1910. This Forest Department now consists of a 

 Conservator, Deputy, and three Assistant Conservators of Forests. 

 However, legislation for the proper preservation of the forest and 

 creation of Forest Reserves has not been passed, so that the scope of 

 the Forest Department's usefulness has been much curtailed. 



It would be quite superfluous here to try and describe the forests 

 in such a masterly fashion as has been done by Mr. Thompson, but 

 anyone who is interested in the Gold Coast Forests should read the 

 Report for themselves. It will suffice to give an outline of the main 

 features of the Forest Administration and a general description of 

 the forests. 



With the author's permission I have given a list of the timber- 

 trees, together with the botanical names, so far as they are known. 



The people of this very rich country have in a short-sighted way 

 very much hindered real progress m Forestry by refusing to assist in 

 the creation of Forest Reserves. Forest Reserves are, of course, 

 simply forest permanently set aside for the production of timber or 

 other such forest products. The people of the Gold Coast h.ave, 

 apparently, judging by extracts from the local Press, got the idea 

 into their heads that the making of a Forest Reserve necessarily means 

 the ownership of the land on which the forest stands passing into the 

 possession of the Government. This, of course, is quite a contrary 

 view to the true conception of a Forest Reserve, which is an area set 

 apart by the Supreme Government as a forest for the permanent 

 production of timber, etc., and usually managed by the Forest Depart- 

 ment of the country. It may be a State forest, a communal forest, 

 a municipal forest, or even a private forest which is thus placed 

 under Forest Laws as a Forest Reserve. The user (that is, the man 

 who has the right of usufruct in it) is not generally in a position to 

 protect it thoroughly, and to some extent foregoes present temporary 

 profits for future permanent returns. 



