SILO to Restore Mangrove Forest

Kotabaru, (Antaranews, South Kalimantan) - PT Sebuku Iron Lateritic Ores (SILO) has so far planted 187,500 mangrove seedlings in an area of 75 hectares.

This is part of the CSR program environment to begin a restoration of mangrove forest in the Nature Reserve Sebuku Strait (CASS). Planting mangrove Rhizophora mucronata and Bruguiera Sexangula was implemented under the coordination of a third party under coordination with the Kotabaru Forest Agency.

Director of Operations of PT SILO, Henry Yulianto, said the company's activities as a concern in the field of environment which is based on the company's vision "to be a pioneer in the steel industry using local raw materials (iron ore laterite) and production related thereto.

SILO, which operates since 2004 in the sub-District Sebuku Island, wants to be an asset to the nation and the state always environmentally sound and meet the "good mining practice" to deal with the environmental issues, especially the destruction of mangrove forests in CASS.

The program was conducted mainly associated with environmental degradation as a result of wild aquaculture development, in addition to managing the water supply and reduce interference coastal areas, he said.

"We started by building partnerships between institutions to accelerate the recovery of the region together with South Kalimantan Natural Resource Conservation Center and Kotabaru Forestry Agency contained in the Memorandum of Understanding which then followed up with a cooperation agreement December 20, 2008 which was known by the Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHKA) Ministry of Forestry. This strategic partnership is a collaboration to optimize the Management of Kalumpang Bay Nature Reserve, Nature Reserve and Marine Nature Reserves Sebuku Strait and buffer zone in the district, "he said.