By Patrick N. Mensah | Maryland County
SARBO CHIEFDOM, River Gee County – The Sarbo Chiefdom in Electoral District #3, River Gee County, has signed a 15-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC), representing SIPH/SIFCA, to designate more than 2,100 hectares of forest as the Sarbo Nature Reserve. This marks a significant shift from rubber expansion to forest conservation.
The agreement, effective from 2026 to 2041 with reviews every five years, was formalized on April 13, 2026, at the Sarbo Woffiken Town Hall. The signing ceremony drew officials from the Sarbo Chiefdom, Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Ministry of Agriculture, civil society, county authorities from River Gee and Maryland, journalists, and local residents.
This pact underscores a commitment to halt commercial rubber expansion into remaining forests, aligning with Liberia’s sustainability goals and global zero-deforestation pledges.
Under the MoU, approximately 2,123.94 hectares, including high-carbon stock forest and degraded areas—will now receive formal protection.
CRC has operated in the area since a 2011 concession, with subsequent land arrangements in 2012 that set aside land for rubber cultivation. Although nearly 4,000 hectares were initially earmarked for development, later assessments found only 2,481 hectares suitable for planting. A 2016 environmental assessment identified high-carbon-stock forests within the concession, prompting stakeholders to reconsider their land-use plans.
In response to international calls to curb deforestation and promote sustainable land management, the unplanted portions of the concession are now being converted into a protected reserve.
The Sarbo Nature Reserve aims to conserve biodiversity and vital ecosystems, rehabilitate degraded landscapes, promote sustainable forest management, and curb illegal activities, including logging, hunting, farming, and encroachment. The initiative also supports climate-change mitigation.
To oversee implementation, the MoU establishes a Sarbo Nature Reserve Committee (SNRC) to ensure transparency, accountability, and collaborative decision-making. The committee will comprise five representatives from Sarbo communities, five from CRC/SIPH, one from the FDA, and the County Agriculture Coordinator. The SNRC will convene three times annually to monitor compliance and supervise activities and is expected to transition into an independent legal entity within three years.
Additionally, a Community-Based Forest Guards (CBFG) unit will be established to safeguard the reserve. The CBFG will conduct patrols, deter illegal activities, maintain buffer zones between farms and conservation blocks, monitor entry points, restrict unauthorized access, and support biodiversity protection.
The MoU enforces strict safeguards, including bans on farming, hunting, land clearing, bush burning, and agrochemical use within the reserve. It also calls for warning signs, monitoring systems, and community awareness campaigns.
To reduce residents’ reliance on forest resources, the agreement provides for livelihood support and social benefits for the five Sarbo communities. Annual compensation of US$5 per hectare will support farming—covering rice, cassava, banana, pineapple, and vegetables—and improve market access. Additional support is planned for livestock and alternative income activities, such as poultry, fish farming, beekeeping, cattle, and piggery projects.
The MoU also allocates US$30,000 annually for community development initiatives. Of this, US$5,000 each year will support volunteer teachers in Maaken, Woffiken, Geeken, Saykliken, and Sweaken. The remaining US$25,000 will fund livelihood and development projects across the communities: Woffiken (US$12,000), Sweaken (US$3,500), Geeken (US$3,500), Maaken (US$3,000), and Saykliken (US$3,000).
Further, the agreement provides for the construction and equipping of a health post in Sarbo Woffiken, to be eventually handed over to the community and the Ministry of Health.
At the ceremony, FDA Region Five Coordinator Evans Momodu Kiatamba called on all parties to honor the agreement. “The FDA owns the forest, while the community serves as custodians. Having this agreement with a renowned plantation company, we expect both the community and CRC to fulfill their responsibilities. Our offices remain open,” Kiatamba said.
CRC/SIPH/SIFCA Executive Director John Lootvoet reaffirmed the company’s commitment to fully implementing the MoU. River Gee County Superintendent Mike Tarpeh Swengbe praised Sarbo Chiefdom for choosing conservation over destructive exploitation and urged other communities to follow their example.
The MoU was signed by representatives of the youth, women, chiefs, and elders from the five Sarbo communities, alongside CRC Managing Director Marc Genot. The ceremony was witnessed by Superintendent Swengbe, River Gee County Agriculture Officer Jasper Sheriff Tweh, and officials from the Forestry Development Authority.
