Brides, grooms asked to help regreen project

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

The Bogor administration is requiring brides and grooms to donate at least two fruit tree seeds before tying the knot as a way to help its drive to reforest several critical areas in the regency.

Bogor religious affairs agency head H.M. Sulaiman said that the regency administration had launched a special program for young couples to donate seeds prior to their marriage.

"We ask every couple that comes to us to donate seeds to make (the administration's) rehabilitation program successful. Initially, they felt funny about being asked to donate seeds. But after we explain it to them they understand and we have got no complaints so far," he said.

Sulaiman said the religious affairs agency would then hand over the seeds to the forestry and plant agency.

He said his agency had planted around 10,000 trees in several critical areas in Bojong Koneng village, Babakan Madang district, Bogor regency in 2004 alone.

Separately, Bogor forestry and plant agency head Noviana said that her office had asked all officials in Bogor to donate five to 10 tree seeds per year to help revive the regency's critically deforested areas.

"Besides the program for brides and grooms, we receive seeds from officials also. By the end of 2004 we had planted 1,153,340 seeds in many areas in Bogor," she claimed.

She explained that her agency had planted trees on a 400- hectare plot of land in Sukamakmur village, and they were still trying to gather as many seeds as possible because there were still a lot of critical areas in Bogor regency that had to be rehabilitated.