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In a bid to conserve native plant species in Region 2, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently signed a pact with a mining firm for the establishment of an arboretum in Nueva Vizcaya province.
 
The memorandum of agreement was signed by DENR Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan and FCF Minerals Country Manager James Carmichael in the presence of Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Mario Ancheta, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Edgar Martin, Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Officer Giovannie Magat, and Leopoldo Castro Jr. of FCF Minerals.
 
The FCF Minerals Corporation, a British-owned firm operating the Runruno Gold-Molybdenum Project in Quezon town, will provide 300,000 pesos per year for the establishment, protection and maintenance of the arboretum for five years.
It shall conduct monitoring activities and attend meetings to assess the development of the arboretum.
 
For its part, the DENR shall be responsible in the site preparation, planting and maintenance and protection of the arboretum
The three-hectare provincial arboretum houses endemic and indigenous forest tree species such as Narra, Dao, Yakal, Molave, Kamagong, Kalumpit, Anilau, Panglomboien, Tuai and Philippine Teak.
 
Established at the Ecological Park and Training Center at CENR office in Aritao, the arboretum will serve as source of quality planting materials, an ecotourism site and educational laboratory.
 
The Forest Management Bureau has earlier directed the establishment of arboretum to enhance the implementation of the National Greening Program by planting endemic trees that best thrive in the region, province or municipality.#