Monrovia, Sept. 30 -- In June, the people in Wedjah District signed an agreement with an NGO to protect 7,131 hectares of forest for yearly cash and other benefits.

By Esau J. Farr, with The DayLight

"We have been waiting for this day to come for so many years," said Savior Nyenbe, an elder of Soloe Town in Wedjah.

Two days later, the Jaedae District signed a similar agreement to keep 43,543 hectares of forest.

"I want to say that the people of Jaedae wholeheartedly welcome the [agreement]," said Mark Toe, a local leader in Jaedae.

The Lower Wedjah and Jaedea agreements are the first of a revolutionary approach to forest conservation in which communities receive funds for keeping their forests standing. A Paynesville-based NGO, In...