Forestry Department Grants Temporary Use of 2.5 Hectares of Salaji Forest to GACH Group for Basalt Storage
By Buba Gagigo
The Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources has granted GACH Group temporary authorization to utilize 2.5 hectares of the Salaji Forest for basalt storage. This decision, according to the department, aligns with the provisions of the Forest Act, 2018.
“In order to address The Gambia’s needs to widen the country’s supply base and minimize concentration risk, there is a need to import basalt by ship. Given that, this is urgent and a national priority for The Gambia Government. As a result, GACH Group, a private investor, stepped in to support by importing basalt by ship. The issue of storage for the basalt has been widely discussed, and many places considered; Salaji Forest Park was deemed the most ideal; this is a short-term agreement. The Salaji Forest Park was gazetted in 1952; it is a State Forest Park, under the Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR),” stated the Department of Forestry in a press release.
Salaji Forest Park, gazetted in 1952, is a State Forest Park managed by the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources (MECCNAR). The department emphasized that the temporary allocation strictly adheres to environmental and legal considerations.
“To minimise loss of biodiversity, an old quarry at the Salagi Forest Park used for the construction of the Sukuta-Jabang Highway is part of the 2.5 hectares temporarily allocated for the basalt storage. It must be emphasised that no portion of Salaji Forest Park has been degazetted nor has any form of transfer of ownership of any portion to any entity taken place. Prior to granting approval, an environmental assessment was conducted by a team of technicians to evaluate the potential impacts on local biodiversity, soil stability,” they concluded.
The Department of Forestry reiterated that this arrangement is temporary and does not compromise the protected status of Salaji Forest Park.