Forest for sale or for exchange<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Forests may now be stripped bare for other uses
\nonly if the developer converts a non-forested area that is at
\nleast three times larger into a forest.<\/p>\n
Director General of Inventory and Forest Land Use Titus
\nSarijanto said yesterday that the Minister of Forestry had issued
\na decree (No. 55\/1994) stipulating the requirement on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
Sarijanto said that the government may also give up its
\nforests for the construction of public utilities such as dams,
\nseaports, airports and military facilities with an exchange ratio
\nof one for one.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the Indonesia NGO Network for Forest
\nConservation (Skephi) S. Indro Tjahjono, however, blasted the
\nruling, saying that it violates the basic principles of
\nenvironmental science.<\/p>\n
\"How could you exchange a forest with all of its birds and
\nother natural resources for another plot?\" Indro said, adding
\nthat the decision contradicts the expressed intention of the
\nministry to definitely sustainably exploit Indonesia's forests.<\/p>\n
Sarijanto said plots for strategic projects such as industrial
\nestates and cement factories may use forests on an exchange rate
\nof one to two.<\/p>\n
\"It means one hectare of forest should be exchanged with two-
\nhectare plot,\" he said, adding that the ministry only permits the
\nconversion of production forests.<\/p>\n
According to him, the government will set up a provisional
\nteam with representatives from a number of ministries to evaluate
\nany proposal about forest conversion.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government defines its forests in four main
\ncategories: 33 million hectares of production forest, 31.3
\nmillion hectares of limited production forest, 30.70 million
\nhectares of protected forest and 18.8 million hectares of
\nconservation forests (wild life reserves and national parks).<\/p>\n
According to the government system, of the 113.8 million
\nhectares of forested area only 92.4 million hectares have real
\nforests.<\/p>\n
Indro said that prior to the issuance of the decree, the
\ngovernment was already quietly using the method it ratifies.<\/p>\n
Citing some examples, he pointed to the real estate projects
\nof Pantai Indah Kapuk in North Jakarta and Gunung Pongkor in
\nBogor, West Java, which are owned respectively by the Ciputra
\nGroup and the Salim Group.<\/p>\n
According to him, in both cases the conglomerates exchanged
\nthe ecologically significant plots for less strategic ones in
\nother regions.(09)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forest-for-sale-or-for-exchange-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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