Government to clamp down on unchecked tree felling

Government to clamp down on unchecked tree felling

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fast losing its precious forests often tagged "lungs of the
earth" due to unchecked logging, Indonesia is tightening the
rules on forest exploitation.

As of 2003, all forest concession holders are required to
obtain government-approved sustainable forest management
certification or lose their licenses.

The government will soon be working on legislation to be
completed by the end of next year, Minister of Forestry Mohamad
Prakosa told journalists on Monday after meeting with President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"The president is determined to revoke the licenses of all
recalcitrant concession holders," Prakosa told journalists.

Under the plan, the government will appoint an independent
institute, such as the Indonesian Ecolabelling Agency, to issue
the certification and to review the concession holders'
compliance on regular basis.

The technical details have yet to be worked out.

Ten percent of the world's tropical forests are in Indonesia.
The government has been under constant criticism for its failure
to control illegal logging, which involves not only log theft but
also concession holders who cut trees outside their areas.
Indiscriminate logging is also a major problem.

A report from the World Bank says that Indonesian forest area
reduces by 1.5 million hectares a year. Currently only some 20
million hectares are left.

Prakosa said the government was serious about enforcing the
latest policy. The government has registered 375 forest
concession holders in the country.