By Ben TC Brooks
River Gee County — Sarbo Chiefdom in River Gee County Electoral District 3 and the Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC), acting on behalf of SIPH/SIFCA, have signed a 15-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Sarbo Nature Reserve.
The agreement, signed on April 13 at the Sarbo Woffiken Town Hall, will protect approximately 2,123 hectares of forest land, including high-carbon stock and degraded forest areas, while promoting sustainable community development and biodiversity conservation.
The initiative marks a major shift from commercial rubber expansion to long-term forest protection following a 2016 environmental assessment that identified significant high-carbon stock forest within the concession area.
Under the agreement, a Sarbo Nature Reserve Committee comprising community representatives, CRC/SIPH officials, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), and the River Gee County Agriculture Coordinator will oversee implementation and monitor compliance.
A Community-Based Forest Guards unit will also be established to prevent illegal hunting, farming, logging, and encroachment within the reserve.
The MoU includes bans on farming, hunting, bush burning, and agrochemical use in protected areas, alongside environmental awareness programs.
To support local communities, the agreement provides annual compensation of US$5 per hectare for agricultural activities and assistance for livestock, poultry, fish farming, and beekeeping projects.
An annual US$30,000 community development fund has also been established, including support for volunteer teachers and local livelihood projects. The agreement further provides for the construction of a health post in Sarbo Woffiken.
Speaking at the ceremony, FDA Region Five Coordinator Evans Momodu Kiatamba urged both parties to honor the agreement, while River Gee Superintendent Mike Tarpeh Swengbe praised Sarbo Chiefdom for embracing conservation and sustainable environmental practices.
