Illegal sawmills still operating in areas of Lampung<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
South Bukit Barisan National Park head Tamen Sitorus was
\napparently furious when he heard evidence -- namely 12 cubic
\nmeters of timber seized during an illegal logging raid at the end
\nof October -- had vanished.<\/p>\n
The timber, of the meranti, tenam and kruing varieties --
\nwhich is believed to have originated from the national park --
\nhad vanished from the upstream area of Pintau River in Pagar
\nBukit, Bengkunat, West Lampung, before it could be transported to
\na safer location.<\/p>\n
\"We couldn't transport the evidence out of the forest due to
\nlack of funds. The cost of transportation is too high since it is
\nlocated dozens of kilometers from passable roads. Thieves have
\nprobably transported the timber by drifting it down Pintau
\nRiver,\" said Tamen.<\/p>\n
Though intensive raids had been conducted several months ago,
\ninvolving the park's rangers and assisted by the West Lampung
\nMilitary Command, never once had they came across evidence of
\nsuch a volume.<\/p>\n
A number of perpetrators were arrested stealing timber, but
\nauthorities had never seized contraband reaching dozens of cubic
\nmeters.<\/p>\n
Since the raids, timber financiers have kept a low profile.
\nA number of sawmills in West Lampung shut down overnight. \"The
\nevidence of 12 m3 of timber was very valuable to us. The closure
\nof the sawmills doesn't mean that illegal logging activities have
\nstopped,\" said Tamen.<\/p>\n
Two methods are employed to transport stolen timber out of the
\nnational park. In the first, logs are cut into four-meter lengths
\nand drifted down the river. At the river's mouth they are stacked
\ninto trucks and transported to sawmills.
\n In the second, the logs are sawed at the logging site. The
\nsites chosen are usually 30 to 50 meters from the main road or
\nnear a river.<\/p>\n
To avoid being arrested, thieves arrange soda cans tied to
\nstrings among the trees. If an unknown party approaches, the
\nstrings are yanked, which causes the cans to rattle and the
\nloggers and sawmill workers to hightail it into the deepest part
\nof the forest.<\/p>\n
Commander of the West Lampung Military Command Lt. Col. Albar
\nHasan Tanjung said transporting stolen timber to a safer place
\nwas often delayed due to lack of funds.<\/p>\n
Executive director of the Lampung office of the Indonesian
\nForum for the Environment (Walhi) Mukri Friatna, said the West
\nLampung administration issued too many sawmill permits. There are
\nhundreds of sawmills in Bengkunat alone.<\/p>\n
\"These sawmills are certainly processing illegal timber from
\nthe national park, because there is no more timber left in
\nLampung's commercial forests. And they operate openly,\" said
\nMukri.<\/p>\n
The establishment of eight forestry posts for the purpose of
\ninspecting permits and impounding stolen timber has not
\ndiscouraged timber thieves either.<\/p>\n
Tamen said the posts functioned as places to legalize the
\nconsignment of illegally felled timber.<\/p>\n
\"Had the posts been effective, timber theft would be
\non a lesser scale in the park,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-sawmills-still-operating-in-areas-of-lampung-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}