Bali's forests threatened by wood thefts and fires
Bali's forests threatened by wood thefts and fires
By Putu Wirata
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Forests in three regencies in Bali --
Jembrana, Buleleng and Karangasem -- are losing more and more of
their forests to illegal logging activities and fires.
Official statistics show that over the past few years, Bali
has suffered a losses of Rp 385 billion in forest products due to
the fires and wood thefts.
The figures show that during the period, authorities recorded
295 cases of wood theft. In addition, 1,074.65 hectares of forest
were encroached upon and another 3,702 hectares burned.
What is more disheartening is that of the 295 reported cases,
only 27 have been handled by authorities with only 14 of these
taken to trial at the district courts.
The data was released by Bali Provincial Forestry Ministry
office chief N. Yuliarsana at a local forestry official meeting
in Denpasar on May 25.
Most affected is the West Bali National Park in Jembrana
regency, home to the highly endangered white starling.
Destruction of much of the park was attributed to major floods
that hit the town of Negara. As many as 123 houses in Melaya
subdistrict were inundated. Many of the houses were buried by mud
resulting from erosion in the upper part of the park.
In Negara town, high water levels of the Jogading river
destroyed more than 100 houses and at least one resident drowned.
"That was the biggest flood I have seen in my life. Mud
resulting from landslides in the protected forest worsened the
disaster," said Darma Santika Putra, a Negara resident who works
at the Jembrana regional administration office.
The 41,000 hectare West Bali National Park is also home to
deer and boars. For many decades, the park has served as a water
catchment area.
Why the sudden big flood in 1998? Many agree with the Bali
forestry ministry office: unchecked land denudation.
Official statistics have also noted that misappropriation of
land has become a major problem. Jembrana forestry office, for
example, has recorded that 2,000 hectares of forest have been
converted into coffee, banana and cacao plantations.
More surprising is Jembrana Regent Ida Bagus Indugosa's recent
revelation that 14 hectares of forest had become the personal
property of provincial government officials.
The regent made the disclosure at a meeting with Jembrana
legislative council members late last year. But he refused to
name the officials.
According to The Jakarta Post's sources in Negara, theft of
forest wood persists, despite the increasingly clamorous calls
for clean governance. Teakwood is the thieves' favored target.
It is widely believed the thefts remain unchecked because they
involve corrupt security personnel and forestry officials in
charge of safeguarding the West Bali National Park.
A well-known incident suggesting the involvement of security
and government officials in instances of wood theft occurred on
Christmas eve, 1998, when villagers of Belimbingsari saw a
lurching truck leave the forest.
The truck, which lacked a police identification number, was
set on fire by the mob after it rammed into a group of people on
their way back from a prayer meeting. The driver managed to
escape. Police focused on the truck's torching and never
investigated the allegedly stolen wood it carried.
"The police should have investigated the identity of the truck
owner, the thief and the strongman behind the operation," said
Wayan Rindha, chairman of the Bali fact finding commission on
collusion, corruption and nepotism in Denpasar.
Rindha said official estimated losses of forestry products
totaling Rp 385 billion were negligible compared to biodiversity
losses in the area.
The Bali forestry ministry office has a classic excuse for the
fire and theft hit dwindling forests. It says it has a very
limited number of personnel to safeguard the forests. Bali has
only 116 forest rangers, while the ideal number is 300.
An absence of forest rangers has encouraged thieves and their
collaborators to be more daring. Suspicions that the rampant wood
theft receives corrupt officials' backing is evident with the
small number -- one estimate puts it at 5 percent -- of cases
taken to court.
None of the political parties campaigning in Jembrana regency
addressed the issue of forestry conservation on the tourist
island, especially in the West Bali National Park.
"The parties do not want to touch on concrete problems in the
region. Their orations were vague, such as that they cared about
preserving the environment and building human resources," said a
resident of Batuagung village, Negara.