Bali's forests threatened by wood thefts and fires<\/p>\n
By Putu Wirata<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Forests in three regencies in Bali --
\nJembrana, Buleleng and Karangasem -- are losing more and more of
\ntheir forests to illegal logging activities and fires.<\/p>\n
Official statistics show that over the past few years, Bali
\nhas suffered a losses of Rp 385 billion in forest products due to
\nthe fires and wood thefts.<\/p>\n
The figures show that during the period, authorities recorded
\n295 cases of wood theft. In addition, 1,074.65 hectares of forest
\nwere encroached upon and another 3,702 hectares burned.<\/p>\n
What is more disheartening is that of the 295 reported cases,
\nonly 27 have been handled by authorities with only 14 of these
\ntaken to trial at the district courts.<\/p>\n
The data was released by Bali Provincial Forestry Ministry
\noffice chief N. Yuliarsana at a local forestry official meeting
\nin Denpasar on May 25.<\/p>\n
Most affected is the West Bali National Park in Jembrana
\nregency, home to the highly endangered white starling.
\nDestruction of much of the park was attributed to major floods
\nthat hit the town of Negara. As many as 123 houses in Melaya
\nsubdistrict were inundated. Many of the houses were buried by mud
\nresulting from erosion in the upper part of the park.<\/p>\n
In Negara town, high water levels of the Jogading river
\ndestroyed more than 100 houses and at least one resident drowned.<\/p>\n
\"That was the biggest flood I have seen in my life. Mud
\nresulting from landslides in the protected forest worsened the
\ndisaster,\" said Darma Santika Putra, a Negara resident who works
\nat the Jembrana regional administration office.<\/p>\n
The 41,000 hectare West Bali National Park is also home to
\ndeer and boars. For many decades, the park has served as a water
\ncatchment area.<\/p>\n
Why the sudden big flood in 1998? Many agree with the Bali
\nforestry ministry office: unchecked land denudation.<\/p>\n
Official statistics have also noted that misappropriation of
\nland has become a major problem. Jembrana forestry office, for
\nexample, has recorded that 2,000 hectares of forest have been
\nconverted into coffee, banana and cacao plantations.<\/p>\n
More surprising is Jembrana Regent Ida Bagus Indugosa's recent
\nrevelation that 14 hectares of forest had become the personal
\nproperty of provincial government officials.<\/p>\n
The regent made the disclosure at a meeting with Jembrana
\nlegislative council members late last year. But he refused to
\nname the officials.<\/p>\n
According to The Jakarta Post's sources in Negara, theft of
\nforest wood persists, despite the increasingly clamorous calls
\nfor clean governance. Teakwood is the thieves' favored target.<\/p>\n
It is widely believed the thefts remain unchecked because they
\ninvolve corrupt security personnel and forestry officials in
\ncharge of safeguarding the West Bali National Park.<\/p>\n
A well-known incident suggesting the involvement of security
\nand government officials in instances of wood theft occurred on
\nChristmas eve, 1998, when villagers of Belimbingsari saw a
\nlurching truck leave the forest.<\/p>\n
The truck, which lacked a police identification number, was
\nset on fire by the mob after it rammed into a group of people on
\ntheir way back from a prayer meeting. The driver managed to
\nescape. Police focused on the truck's torching and never
\ninvestigated the allegedly stolen wood it carried.<\/p>\n
\"The police should have investigated the identity of the truck
\nowner, the thief and the strongman behind the operation,\" said
\nWayan Rindha, chairman of the Bali fact finding commission on
\ncollusion, corruption and nepotism in Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Rindha said official estimated losses of forestry products
\ntotaling Rp 385 billion were negligible compared to biodiversity
\nlosses in the area.<\/p>\n
The Bali forestry ministry office has a classic excuse for the
\nfire and theft hit dwindling forests. It says it has a very
\nlimited number of personnel to safeguard the forests. Bali has
\nonly 116 forest rangers, while the ideal number is 300.<\/p>\n
An absence of forest rangers has encouraged thieves and their
\ncollaborators to be more daring. Suspicions that the rampant wood
\ntheft receives corrupt officials' backing is evident with the
\nsmall number -- one estimate puts it at 5 percent -- of cases
\ntaken to court.<\/p>\n
None of the political parties campaigning in Jembrana regency
\naddressed the issue of forestry conservation on the tourist
\nisland, especially in the West Bali National Park.<\/p>\n
\"The parties do not want to touch on concrete problems in the
\nregion. Their orations were vague, such as that they cared about
\npreserving the environment and building human resources,\" said a
\nresident of Batuagung village, Negara.<\/p>",
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