Aceh protects forests

JAKARTA (JP): The provincial administration of Aceh will not issue anymore permits for forest concessions in the area, Nirwan Jailani, an Aceh Forestry Agency official, said over the weekend.

Nirwan, who heads the forestry management division, said no more new concessions would be granted to private investors because forest conditions had reached a "critical point".

He said uncontrolled logging practices had damaged the area's forests, including its preserved forests.

Forests cover 74.5 percent, or 4.13 million hectares, of the province. They comprise of preserved forests, industrial timber plantations and conversion forests.

There are currently 20 concessions operating on about 1.76 million hectares of forests, and 147 holders of exploitation rights for 853,844 hectares of forest.

Nirwan said the Aceh administration last year received Rp 4.46 billion (US$1.85 million) in forestry royalties and $1.17 million in reforestation funds.

Meanwhile, the Irian Jaya provincial administration said it planned to issue five new industrial timber plantation concessions for the Jayapura, Merauke, and Paniai regencies.

The new concessionaires would be added to the 50 already in operation, which cover 11 million hectares of the province's 42 million hectares of forests.

The Irian Jaya administration last year received Rp 11 billion in royalties and Rp 19 billion in reforestation funds, Kayat said. (02)