The Ashanti Regional Forestry Commission has said illegal mining activities and illegal logging as well as bushfires have been affecting their efforts to preserve the forest reserves. Although the regional Manager, Mr Clement Amoh Omari, said the menace has been reduced through their awareness creation, more efforts have to be taken to flush out illegal activities in the forest. Preserving the forest reserve, he said, is not the duty of the commission alone but a collective effort while calling for support to deal with the menace to sustain the forest reserves. Addressing a press conference today ahead of tomorrow's Green Ghana Day, Mr Omari said out of the 2.3 million trees planted in the region last year, about 75 percent of them survived. He said the region has also targeted to plant 2.5 million trees this year which would be done in collaboration with Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, churches, school children, and other organisations.