Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), which operates the proposed Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, is poised to reforest 270 hectares this year within its proposed project area.
The area straddles the provinces of South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani.
Records from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Koronadal, South Cotabato, show that the target set by SMI is almost double the existing forest cover in the city. Out of its 27,000 hectares total land area, it has a forest cover of barely 150 hectares or less than 1%.
From January to June this year, SMI has already released 116,000 seedlings to communities within its proposed project area. Since 2005, SMI has so far released and planted at least 700,000 seedlings with the help of community volunteers.
Just two weeks ago, SMI released approximately 17,000 seedlings for a one-day tree-planting activity in Koronadal.
SMI has two large nurseries in South Cotabato and Davao del Sur.
According to the recently released draft Environmental Impact Study for the Tampakan mine, SMI’s biodiversity management plan includes the establishment of regeneration, conservation and offset areas that are at least equivalent to the area of rainforest impacted by the proposed project.
The plan also commits a hectare of native vegetation planted for every disturbed hectare. Vegetation corridors will also be created between fragmented remnant forest both within and outside the project site, improving connectivity and reducing impacts on biodiversity.
