The Forestry Commission office in Ashanti Region has revealed that 85% of the trees planted during the 2025 tree for life initiative are doing well.
This comes after the Commission conducted a Monitoring and Evaluation Assessment of the seedlings it distributed during the Tree Planting Exercise last year.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, Noble Isaac Eshun, who disclosed this during the 2026 edition of the project, urged communities to support the initiative.
The Tree for Life Initiative introduced by the government in 2025 at Nkawie in Ashanti Region, was part of the government’s overall green agenda meant to protect the environment.
The region has been given a target of planting 3 million trees in the degraded forest reserves, churches, homes, communities, schools and others.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, Noble Isaac Eshun said the initiative has already been instituted as an annual event. He said the Commission will continue to monitor the trees that were planted to ensure they grow well.
“Independent Field Assessment conducted by our team and other bodies in all districts across the region indicates a survival rate of over 85% and this is highly remarkable “, he said.
“Field Assessment has also been conducted by MLNR , and some other selected institutions and the success rate is confirmed to be over 85%.
He said the initiative has restored many degraded forest reserves and other areas.
Apart from restoration of landscapes, the initiative has resulted in the creation of jobs.
According to him, the 2026 strategy will heavily prioritise long-term sustainability and environmental recovery over mere distribution numbers.
“Most of the planting this year will be directed toward reclaiming degraded forest reserves,” he said.
He stressed that the Commission has implemented intensive monitoring mechanisms to actively track the survival and growth rates of the newly planted trees.
To maximise resources efficiently and prevent waste, the Commission has introduced strict distribution caps for the general public.
Individuals requesting seedlings will be rationed to a maximum of the five trees each.
“This is a deliberate strategy to curb waste, Mr Eshun said, observing that evaluations of past exercise revealed some citizens collected seedlings but ultimately failed to plant.
Free seedlings remain available for pickup at all Forestry Commission offices across the Ashanti Region for the duration of the month-long programme.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, reiterated government’s commitment to restore degraded lands in the region.
He encouraged people to support the Tree for Life Initiative.
He appealed to residents to embrace domestic tree planting to help Kumasi reclaim its historic identity as the “Garden City” of West Africa.
He touched on upcoming policy shifts, observing that discussions will soon be held with MMDCEs to enforce home tree planting initiatives designed to beautify Kumasi and the Ashanti Region as a whole.
By Benjamin Aidoo
