LAND UTILIZATION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FORESTRY

Ideally, production and protection forests should occupy about 25 per cent of a country. In Uganda, circumstances prevent more than 8-9 per cent being reserved. This limited area must be chosen to the best advantage in relation to other claims: it cannot consist entirely of waste and marginal land. Reservations should be made early, using natural boundaries (e.g. rivers) for protection, and leaving the final areas and boundaries for later decision under planned land utilization policies. These major reservations are of little direct help to the peasant farmer, who needs a clump of trees nearby for his fuel, building poles and for shade. Figures obtained in the Kigezi area suggest that these "farm forests" should occupy about 4-5 per cent of the land in farm use. About half should be in clumps near the houses, and the remainder in communal plots on marginal and steep land, forming windbreaks and contoured washstops. Both large-scale and small-scale forestry developments must be closely integrated with an overall land utilization plan, on which a clearly announced policy of land use for the territory must be based.