Ministries to take steps to save parks<\/p>\n
BONTANG, East Kalimantan (JP): The government will revise the
\n1989 joint ministerial decree on mining exploration inside
\nnational parks, an effort to strengthen their legal status.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has 35 national parks, 10 of which will get higher
\nlegal status under special park management.<\/p>\n
Seven international non-government organizations recently sent
\na letter to the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Mines
\nand Energy, asking for better legal status for Indonesian
\nnational parks, which they said are being threatened by private
\nmining explorations.<\/p>\n
In 1989 the two ministries issued a joint decree saying that
\ncommercial exploration in wildlife sanctuaries and nature
\nreservations is only allowed with appropriate permits from them.<\/p>\n
Nana Supriana, former director of Area Development and Nature
\nPreservation of the Directorate General of Forest Protection and
\nNature Preservation, told The Jakarta Post Monday that the decree
\nneeds to be revised as it is insufficient to protect parks and
\nconservation areas.<\/p>\n
"National parks have zones which can be explored, while nature
\nreserves are strictly prohibited for exploration. The decree
\nfails to elaborate on these matter and is open to
\nmisinterpretation," he said.<\/p>\n
"It is not even running hand in hand with the 1990 Law on
\nConservation," Nana said.<\/p>\n
The law no. 5\/1990 prohibits any actions inconsistent with the
\nfunction of national parks, grand forest parks, and natural
\nrecreation parks.<\/p>\n
Koesaparjadi, the newly appointed director of Area Development
\nand Nature Preservation, told the Post that the decree was
\nformulated in such a way to ensure coordination between the two
\nministries in the issuance of mining exploration permits.<\/p>\n
"It's intended to prevent a protected area -- whether a nature
\nreserve or a national park -- becomes a subject of two different
\nregulations from different ministries," he said.<\/p>\n
Ediwiyoto, director of Program Development of the Directorate
\nGeneral of Forest Protection and Nature Preservation, said that
\nconservation has always been Indonesia's main concern.<\/p>\n
"Our conservation program is being watched by world
\norganizations. But we also need the parks to be reserved," he
\nsaid. (12)<\/p>",
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