Kevin Tari reports that as of October, cement, stone, sand, and timber had been transported to the site for water tank repairs. Work is now nearing completion with the ground well. Wooden poles for fencing and wire were fixed to keep out cows, and a new plaque has been sent to replace the current pitted one.

As of April 2008 the conservation area remains intact in spite of a brief community consideration in 2007 to revoke the conservation agreement to sell logging rights to pay for lawyer fees over disputed land claims. No bids were retrieved by the communities, and in early 2008 Sara and Matantas communities were working together to resolve the disputed land claims. The community hall remains in good condition overall. It may need maintenance in the near future to stabilize cracks caused by an earthquake as well as an upgrade to the water supply system.

Vanuatu Field Representative Kevin Tari reports that the communities are using the hall for meetings and workshops. However, there is a crisis regarding the status of the Vatthe Conservation Area. Someone who had owned land inside the conservation area lost a claim for ownership in the Supreme Court of Appeals in 2002, but successfully filed for compensation for coconut trees on his former land.

Local conservation NGO Santo Wan Tok Environment Center (WTEC), which has worked with the Vanuatu Environment Unit to pay most of the compensation, is concerned that village leaders are now proposing to log some hardwood trees in the “garden” zone of the reserve to make up for the shortfall. That would not directly contravene management plan rules, but WTEC staff believes that it poses a threat to the biological integrity of the area and is inconsistent with the project’s conservation rationale. Seacology staff will monitor the situation.