Aceh protects forests

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)