Finland promises reforestation follow-up
JAKARTA (JP): Finland says it is committed to following up on a 15-year-old forestry project in South Kalimantan, scheduled to end next month, which is being undertaken by the Finnish and Indonesian governments.
Finnish Ambassador to Indonesia Hannu Himanen said yesterday a follow-up on the reforestation and tropical forest management project would ensure that the project's results were not wasted.
"To preserve the trial areas and to seek ways of benefiting from the scientific results of this project, FINNIDA is considering further funding for the project," Himanen said, referring to FINNIDA, the Finnish Development Agency.
Himanen was speaking yesterday at the opening of a one-day seminar on sustainable management of production forests. The seminar focused on the approach taken by the Finland-based Enso Forest Development Company in planning, sylviculture and economics.
Himanen said the European Commission had also expressed "serious interest" in the project.
According to the head of the Ministry of Forestry's Research and Development Agency, Toga Silitonga, the reforestation and tropical forest project was started in 1981 by his office and Enso, with funding from FINNIDA.
The first phase of the project took place in Suban Jeriji, South Sumatra, from November 1981 to December 1983. This phase established an experimental seedling production plot, a 300- hectare plantation and a mechanized nursery.
After phase one, the project was relocated to South Kalimantan to help reforest grassland areas.
The second phase, between 1983 and 1985, established a modern nursery in Banjar Baru, South Kalimantan. It also developed seedling production methods to meet local conditions.
The project is scheduled to end next month upon the completion of the project's sixth phase.
Silitonga said that over the 15 years, the project has managed to find suitable tree species for rehabilitating grasslands and over-logged Dipterocarp forests. The project has also developed a technology to combat grassland fires.
Ambassador Himanen said that cooperation between Finland and Indonesia in forestry was not limited to scientific projects.
One of the most significant cooperation projects, he said, was a pulp timber estate which Enso is developing in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
Earlier this year, Enso, state-owned forestry firm PT Inhutani III and cigarette producer PT Gudang Garam agreed to develop a 100,000-hectare pulp timber estate.
The pulp timber estate is being developed by PT Finnantara Intiga, a joint venture established by the three companies in 1994.
Timber from the estate would be used to supply Finnantara's pulp mill. Construction of the pulp mill is expected to commence in 1998. The mill, expected to cost US$1 billion, will have an annual production capacity of 500,000 cubic meters. (pwn)