Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, August 6, 2014 (ANTARA) --

Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, along with the 60-people entourage of the Clinton Foundation, visited Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, making the first-ever visit to the forestry project of the Clinton Climate Initiative in Asia.

On July 20, Bill Clinton visited the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) of Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) in Pasir Panjang village, South Arut subdistrict, West Kotawaringin regency.

During the Gala Dinner organized in Swiss Belhotel, Pangkalan Bun, on Sunday night, PT. Rimba Raya Conservation is one of the invited company to made a presentation of ecosystem and forest area restoration to Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton, who arrived at the Iskandar Airport, Pangkalan Bun on July 20, 01:55 am local time, made a 2-day visit to Central Kalimantan for a trip of Clinton Foundation Asia 2014.

Clinton Foundation is a non-profit foundation whose one of its primary focus is on the nature conservation, the forest and animal protection, including orangutan, and the impact of the climate change.

In his brief visit to Central Kalimantan, Bill Clinton also paid a visit to Camp Leakey, a research station belonged to Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), who is led by Dr. Birute Galdikas, located in the area of Tanjung Puting National Park.

CEO of PT. Rimba Raya Conservation (PT. RRC), L. Djonni Andhella, who accompanied Bill Clinton in the entire Central Kalimantan trip, stated that OFI led by Dr. Birute Galdikas is the partner of PT. RRC during the release program of the OCCQ's orangutan into the work area of PT. RRC.

Riding in a motorboat, Bill Clinton and the entourage cruised down the Sekonyer river reaching for Camp Leakey located in Tanjung Puting National Park. The Park is stretched throughout the Kumai subdistrict, West Kotawaringin with the area of 253.860 ha and the Hanau subdistrict, Danau Sembuluh and Seruyan Hilir, Seruyan regency with the area of 161.180 ha.

Vice President of Public & Government Relations, PT. RRC, Nisa Jalil explained that PT. RRC has the cooperation ties with the Tanjung Puting National Park in the forest area management covering 18.642 ha.

Jim Procanik, Managing Director, Infinite Earth Asia, acting as the Project Developer of the Ecosystem Restoration (ER) program of PT. RRC, also made a presentation to Bill Clinton and the Foundation on the planning and the execution of the ER program in the work area of PT. RRC in Seruyan regency, Central Kalimantan.
“My impression of President Clinton, was that he cares deeply about the future of our forests, climate change and of course the plight of orangutan. I appreciate his level of engagement, knowledge and his sincere concern for environmental issues. We are thankful he came to see the project in person.” said Jim Procanik on his impression on Bill Clinton.

On July 21, Bill Clinton and the entourage left Pangkalan Bun for the next destination, Australia.

PT. Rimba Raya Conservation is the first company in Indonesia that implements the REDD+ program in the Seruyan Regency, Central Kalimantan as its work area. The Company has three priority programs; the climate change recovery, the conservation of the forest biodiversity, and the village community development.

About PT. Rimba Raya Conservation
PT. Rimba Raya Conservation (RRC) is a company that develops the programs of ecosystem conservation and restoration by protecting and securing the trees, establishing the forest and conserving the the forest's biodiversities. The release of orangutan is one of the fundamental obligation of RRC as the licensee of Timber Forest Product Utilization Restoration (IUPHHK-RE).

RRC is clearly committed to protect, conserve and secure its work area consession of 64.000 hectares to the fullest including to restore the forest and its bioderversities and the local community. RCC is a privately held company that pioneers the ecosystem conservation and restoration by implementing REDD+ program.

Contact : Nisa Jalil, Vice President Public & Government Relations, nisajalil@rimba-raya.com






Editor: PR Wire
Copyright © ANTARA 2014