Atewa is a rare, healthy, biologically diverse forest ecosystem. It is being threatened by gold mining.
The forest is one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in West Africa and it houses one of the healthiest and biologically diverse ecosystems in West Africa. It is home to many unique and at-risk species.
A small-scale gold mining company has been buying up farmland near the reserve and there is already visible damage to the natural environment. The mining may soon extend into the Atewa Range Forest.
We, the undersigned, ask you to give priority to Ghana's Atewa Range Forest Reserve, one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in West Africa.
Conservation International's report on the 2006 RAP Atewa expedition observed that the reserve was stressed from timber poaching and bushmeat hunting. The report cautioned that mining activities could pose a future threat. The future is now and the threat is real.
A small-scale gold mining company has been buying up farmland near the reserve. There is already visible damage to the natural environment where a variety of crops once grew in abundance. The mining may soon extend into the Atewa Range Forest.
Please, designate Atewa as a Key Biodiversity Area. Spearhead an effort with other NGOs and the Ghanaian government to implement the protections you have recommended including a buffer zone around the reserve, eco-tourism projects, and carbon credits. Sustainable solutions must engage and benefit the rural people who depend on the Atewa Range Forest for their survival.
The time to act is now. Please act quickly to preserve this ecological gem for future generations
We applaud your efforts to bring attention to this forest and to save the pristine character of this rare gem.
Thank you for all that you do to protect our beautiful planet.
