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thousand board feet for logs intended for export (the latter
distinction was introduced in an attempt to encourage local
processing of the timber) or any timber product cut for
commercial use and sold (whether locally or for export). The new
rates replaced the 1940 rate of 2 cents per board foot of logs,
timber and planks.
Another noteworthy obligation of the concessionaire was his
responsibility to furnish the Chief of the Bureau of Forest
Conservation with monthly reports containing information with
respect to the sale of products and divided into the (two)
classifications which determine the stumpage fee or excise tax
due (25).
In 1959 the Government Forest Reserves which were provided for
in the 1953 Forestry Conservation Act were effectively created
in the "National Forests of Liberia". These became protected
forest areas to be used for industrial i.e. commercial,
development purposes and not available for agriculture
("shifting cultivation") by the tribal people.
In the mid-1970's these National Forests numbered fifteen and
covered a total area of nearly,4-2 million acres (about 16? of
the country's total land area). Table 18 shows their acreage.
The forestry potential of Liberia being concentrated in the
southeastern part of the country it is not surprising to note
that 60? of the total area of National Forests are situated in
the southeastern region. Two single National_Forests, the Grebo
National Forest and the Krahn-Bassa National Forest - both
located in the South-eastern part of the country - together
represent over 45? of the total area designated National Forest.
The third largest National Forest covers an area of over half a
million acres (the Gola National Forest) and lies in Northwestern
Liberia which region included a total of 1.6 million
acres of National Forests (representing 37-5? of the total
National Forest Area). Only 2.5? of the total National Forest
area is located in Northern Liberia.
Administration of the Forestry Sector
Until 1948 there were in Liberia no well-trained, professional
Liberian foresters. Probably the first professional Liberian
forester was"Stephen A. Tolbert who in 1945 had been granted a
(Liberian) Government scholarship (to study in the U.S.A.) and
who returned three years later with an M. A. in Forestry.
In 1948 the National Forest Service was created (modelled to a
large extent after the U.S. Forest Service) within the
Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and Stephen Tolbert
became its first Director. Holsoe (see above) and Stephen
Tolbert were highly instrumental in the transformation of this
National Forest Service into the Bureau of Forest Conservation