Govt says no new permits for natural forest conversion<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Forestry and Plantations has
\nstopped the issuance of new permits to develop natural forests
\nfor logging, plantations and other forestry-related industries.<\/p>\n
Moch. Toha Bratakusumah, the head of the ministry's planning
\nagency, said here on Wednesday that the suspension of all new
\napplications for the conversion of natural forests would last for
\nat least two years.<\/p>\n
\"The suspension will continue until a national program for
\nforest management has been approved within the next two years,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said all applications received after May 22 would be
\nrejected, and those which were still being processed would be
\nreevaluated.<\/p>\n
The existing permits could be revoked if the owners did not
\ndevelop their areas, he said, adding that there were 1,896
\napplications for forest conversion licenses within the last 20
\nyears, and that 259 had been granted involving an area of 1.87
\nmillion hectares.<\/p>\n
Only 1.5 million hectares had since been replanted, he added.<\/p>\n
The suspension was decided upon in line with Indonesia's
\ncommitment at a meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia
\n(CGI) earlier this year to prevent further damage to Indonesia's
\nforest areas, Toha said.<\/p>\n
He said that of 41 million hectares of forest which had been
\nlicensed for logging or plantation activities, about 18.3 million
\nhectares (45 percent) still consisted of primary forests, 11.6
\nmillion hectares (28 percent) were badly damaged and 11.1 million
\nhectares (27 percent) slightly damaged.<\/p>\n
Toha said some 2.2 million hectares of the country's 12.5
\nmillion hectares of protected forests, and 3.7 million hectares
\nof 17.3 million hectares of conservation forest land were no
\nlonger being logged.<\/p>\n
He said that during the last decade, deforestation had reached
\na rate of 1.6 million hectares a year due to exploitation,
\nconversion, plundering, fires and cultivation activities.<\/p>\n
\"The number will continue to rise unless we can put a stop to
\nit,\" Toha said.<\/p>\n
Head of the Center for Forestry and Plantation Planning Boen
\nMuchtar Purnama said the national program on forest management
\nwas a program to conserve as well as optimize the utilization of
\nforest products.<\/p>\n
\"It would be a base for forestry activities for all sectors,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The program has to be approved not only by the government but
\nalso by provincial administrations, non-governmental
\norganizations and provincial legislation councils. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-says-no-new-permits-for-natural-forest-conversion-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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