MONROVIA – The Environmental Eyes Consultancy and Advocacy Firm Inc. (EECAF) has strongly rejected and condemned a proposal by Representative Thomas Romeo Quiah of Sinoe County District #2 to de-gazette Liberia’s Sapo National Park.
In a statement released this week, EECAF described the lawmaker’s call as “insensitive, selfish, diabolical, and unpatriotic,” warning that such an action would have devastating consequences for Liberia’s biodiversity, heritage, and international reputation.
Sapo National Park, established in 1983, is Liberia’s oldest and largest protected area and is widely regarded as a national ecological treasure. It is home to rare and endangered species such as the pygmy hippopotamus and the forest elephant, and forms part of the Upper Guinean Rainforest—one of the most biologically diverse and carbon-rich ecosystems in the world.
According to EECAF, the park is critical not only for wildlife conservation but also for climate resilience, water security, and sustainable development. “De-gazetting this critical habitat would represent an irreversible loss to Liberia’s natural heritage,” the group stated.
The organization emphasized that Liberia has binding international commitments to protect the Sapo National Park for present and future generations. These commitments are tied to global environmental agreements, biodiversity targets, and climate change mitigation strategies.
EECAF called on President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, national policymakers, and both local and international environmental organizations to unite in defending the park’s integrity. It also urged the government to invest in sustainable management and permanent protection measures for the park.
“The integrity of Sapo National Park must be preserved,” the statement read. “This is not just a national responsibility—it is part of our global duty to safeguard the Earth’s remaining biodiversity hotspots.”
Environmental advocates have long warned that opening up protected areas for logging, mining, or other extractive activities could undermine Liberia’s standing as a leader in forest conservation in West Africa. The country’s forests are a major carbon sink, and their preservation plays a critical role in global climate stability.
The statement from EECAF adds to a growing wave of opposition from conservation groups, civil society organizations, and environmental activists who see the proposed de-gazettement as a step backward in Liberia’s environmental policy.
