Forest concession closed

Forest concession closed

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Forestry has closed North
Sulawesi to new forest concessionaires because of forests' poor
conditions and limited forest areas.

The ministry's provincial office chairman, Bambang Hendriyo,
said in Manado yesterday that forest conditions in the province
were worsening because of shifting cultivation and illegal
logging.

"More than 300,000 hectares of forest is already in critical
condition. We're very concerned," he was quoted by Antara. as
saying.

He said the forest area in the province was about 1.5 million
hectares or 55.48 percent of the province's total area.

He said his office would intensify reforestation programs to
improve forest conditions. (bnt)