July 27, 2013
BEIRUT: The National Commission for Lebanese Women and the Friends of the Cedars Forest Commission in Bsharri signed a cooperation protocol Friday to plant a new cedar forest.
The project entails planting 1,000 cedar trees in a 30,000 square meter area in the qada of Bsharri.
Lebanese expatriates and tourists can sponsor a cedar tree by buying one and paying the expenses associated with planting and raising it, according to a statement released Friday. The sponsorship is binding for 18 years, until the tree becomes self-sustaining.
The head of the Friends of the Cedar Forest Committee, Riad Keyrouz and Secretary Bassam Geagea signed the protocol with Fadi Karam, the secretary-general of the National Commission for Lebanese Women.
The official protocol sets the fall of 2015 as the deadline for when the planting activities should cease.
The committee called on civil society activists, concerned citizens and families to contribute by becoming sponsors for the project, which they said would symbolize the country’s attachment to nature, especially cedar trees, and its dedication to preserve forests for future generations.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on July 27, 2013, on page 3.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Jul-27/225245-new-forest-to-be-planted-with-1000-cedar-trees.ashx#ixzz2akZe2ukj
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)