Africa-Press – Liberia. The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) says it acknowledges the public debate generated by the recent press release issued by the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) concerning the temporary suspension of activities leading to the gazettement of the Foya Proposed Protected Area (FPPA).
In a press release issued in Monrovia on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the FDA points out that while public discourse on forest governance is welcomed and necessary in a democratic society, several assertions contained in the release require clarification from a legal, technical, governance and policy perspective.
On the Allegation of Illegality
The FDA states that the FDA’s Administrative Suspension violates the 2006 National Forestry Reformed Law and the 2016 Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law is legally overstated.
Under the 2006 National Forestry Reform Law and the 2016 Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law, the FDA notes that the process of establishing a protected area is procedural and multi-staged.
According to the FDA, the gazettement requires scientific justification, socio-economic assessments, stakeholder consultations, and Executive and Legislative endorsement.
‘‘The Foya Proposed Protected Area has not been gazetted by the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia. Therefore, it is not yet a legally declared protected area. Section 5.8 of the 2016 Law applies to the modification or abolition of an already gazetted protected area, not to the administrative review or suspension of a proposed protected area still undergoing due diligence,’’ the FDA in the press release signed by Rudolph J. Merab Sr., Managing Director discloses.
‘‘The FDA, as the statutory manager of Liberia’s forest estate, retains administrative authority to pause, review, and reassess processes where: stakeholder concerns are significant, social license appears weak, national policy alignment requires further analysis, or where competing land-use interests require harmonization.’’
The FDA makes it clear that a temporary suspension for review does not equate to abolition, nor does it constitute illegality, saying on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Sections 2.2 (c) of the Community Rights Law emphasizes participatory consultations.
‘‘However, it is factually inaccurate to suggest that consultations were absent before the suspension. More critically, the recent and well-documented rejection of full protected area status by chiefs, elders, youth groups, and citizens within and around the Foya landscape demonstrates that FPIC remains contested and unresolved,’’ the FDA continues in the press release.
The inhabitants, the FDA says, have expressed dissatisfaction with conservation benefit-sharing models, cited limited or no tangible benefits from the gazettement of Gola National Park, and voiced concerns that full protection could eliminate future livelihood options, including agriculture, logging, and mineral development.
‘‘Where consent is divided or withdrawn, the responsible course of action is to pause and reassess, not to accelerate gazettement. True FPIC is continuous, not a one-time procedural event. On Alleged Donor and Climate Finance Risks, the assertion that Liberia’s credibility or carbon finance ambitions are jeopardized is speculative and premature. Liberia’s climate commitments remain intact under: the National REDD+ Strategy, the draft National Carbon Policy, and the Carbon Markets Authority framework Forest governance credibility depends on: social legitimacy, legal compliance, transparent land-use planning, conflict-sensitive decision-making Imposing protected status against strong local opposition would present a far greater reputational and investment risk than conducting a structured review,’’ the FDA utters.
The FDA says carbon markets increasingly emphasize social safeguards, grievance mechanisms, and community consent, stressing that investor confidence is strengthened, not weakened, by inclusive governance.
‘‘On Logging Governance Failures SCNL’s reference to historical unpaid land rentals and governance weaknesses highlights past systemic challenges in Liberia’s forestry sector.’’
‘‘However, those governance failures were precisely the reason the 2006 reformed was enacted. They cannot be used as a blanket justification for restricting future land-use options without: Updated financial modelling, transparent revenue comparison between conservation and sustainable commercial forestry, a clear demonstration that conservation revenues will reach communities more effectively than previous logging revenues. A binary framing of conservation versus extraction oversimplifies a complex land-use policy environment. Sustainable forest management, community forestry, conservation corridors, and carbon projects are not mutually exclusive pathways.’’
On Biodiversity and International Commitments
The FDA intimates that the ecological importance of the Foya landscape within the Upper Guinean Forest ecosystem is acknowledged, saying species such as the African Forest Elephant, White-bellied Pangolin, and Chimpanzee underscore the conservation value of the area.
However, the FDA further states that biodiversity conservation must be balanced with: customary land rights, rural development needs, food security considerations, and national economic planning.
The FDA further discloses that the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development under President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr. emphasizes environmental sustainability alongside inclusive economic growth.
‘‘Sustainability cannot be achieved without local ownership and equitable benefit-sharing. On Community Benefits and Development Claims. While investments reportedly supported 158 communities and over 50,000 people, the question remains: Are these benefits permanent, substantive, and guaranteed? Are they scalable without continued donor funding? Do they replace foregone economic opportunities? The dissatisfaction expressed by local inhabitants suggests that conservation programming has not fully met community expectations. A responsible institution like the FDA must investigate these claims objectively rather than rely solely on partner-reported outcomes. Governance Responsibility of the FDA The FDA’s decision to suspend the gazettement process reflects: Responsiveness to citizen concerns, administrative prudence, Commitment to balanced land-use planning, Respect for government-wide policy harmonization. This is not a reversal of conservation policy. It is a review mechanism. In forest governance, legitimacy is as important as legality.’’
The FDA indicates that to ensure that the Government of Liberia(GoL) makes an informed and evidence-based decision, the FDA says it is preparing an unbiased and professional presentation outlining: the ecological implications of full protection, the socioeconomic costs and benefits, the financial projections under conservation versus sustainable commercial models, community perspectives and consent dynamics, climate finance opportunities and associated risks, legal and governance considerations.
‘‘This presentation should be delivered by the Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority at the next Cabinet Meeting of the Government of Liberia. The final determination regarding the Foya Proposed Protected Area will therefore be made at the highest policy level of government, based on comprehensive analysis, not public pressure. Liberia’s forests must serve its people first, while meeting international obligations responsibly and transparently,’’ the FDA says.
‘‘The decision on Foya will reflect national interest, community rights, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic sustainability, not rhetoric,’’ the FDA adds.
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