Aclara Resources Inc (TSX:ARA, OTC:ARAAF) said it aims to donate more than 8,000 native trees and plants to Chile to help restore native forests in the Biobio region and other areas that were devastated by forest fires.
Forest fires this year in Chile have taken many lives, homes and burnt hundreds of hectares of native forests.
The rare earths development company is launching a reforestation plan for the area, aiming to encourage the engagement of social and regional organizations, with training in the maintenance and care of indigenous species to be offered.
Part of this will be the distribution of around 8,000 naranjillo trees, endemic to Chile, along with other species such as pitao and queule trees.
An initial delivery of 2,000 naranjillo trees,100 queules, 200 pitaos and 1,000 companion species will be made to the Viña del Mar Botanical Garden, which Aclara said was to help relieve some of the loss over 380 hectares of native forests from fires this year.
The donation of trees will be made in June, which the company said will be when the land will be ready for planting.
An agreement has been signed between Aclara and the botanical garden (see photo).
Ramon Barua, Aclara CEO, said: "Aclara faced an unexpected setback in July last year, after receiving a request from a state agency to terminate the company’s 2023 EIA application, based on the findings of six naranjillo trees, located in the area of the project.
“We took this as an opportunity to learn more about this native species, and we hope that these donations show the harmony between our project, the environment, and our community.”
He said Aclara is working towards submitting a “robust environmental proposal shortly”, and the company’s initial commitment remains “to revegetate all impacted areas with native species for the Penco community at the end of the project’s life.”
As part of the initiative, Aclara said it will provide expert training on the care and maintenance of native species, with two years of follow-up support, including visits to the area every six months.
"We aim to promote a shared space, fostering a collective commitment for the forest’s restoration and care, because environmental stewardship is everyone's responsibility," said Fernando Illanes, Aclara’s public affairs manager.