ITTO aids forestry projects

ITTO aids forestry projects

JAKARTA (JP): The International Tropical Timber Organization
(ITTO), has signed an agreement to provide a US$1.57 million
grant to finance four forestry projects in Indonesia dedicated to
sustainable forestry management.

The new grant increases ITTO's donations to the Indonesian
government to US$12 million, which is allocated to 10 forestry
projects, ITTO's executive director B.C.Y Freezailah said
following the signing of the grant Saturday.

The new grant consists of US$672,774 for the Indonesian
Ecolabeling Agency to finance the training program on the
assessment of sustainable forest management and US$770,000 for
the Prosea Foundation to finance its project on the books and
database on the medicinal and poisonous plants of Southeast Asia.

The remaining US$125,862 will be given to the Ministry of
Forestry's Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature
Preservation and the Bogor Agricultural Institute to draw up
national guidelines on how to protect tropical forests against
fire.

Freezailah said the grant clearly demonstrated the confidence
of the international community to assist Indonesia achieve
sustainable forest management and optimize the utilization of its
rich forest resources. (gis)