Law enforcement needed to save forests

Law enforcement needed to save forests

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: The law must be enforced to help
preserve protected forests and national parks in the province,
says a local official.

Edi Suryadi, chief of the local forestry office, said
deforestation in protected forests and national parks in the
province would continue unless the law was enforced.

"Local authorities and law enforcers must take stern action
against those contributing to the damage of protected forests,
regardless of their position and background," he said in a
hearing with the Lampung provincial legislature, activists and
local military and police officials here on Wednesday.

According to him, the police should take action not only
against forest squatters but also against poachers and officials
who backed up illegal logging in forested areas protected by law.

Edi said his office lacked the funds to resettle people
squatting in protected forests and national parks.

A 1999 law on forestry and the law on the environment prohibit
people from living in protected forests.

"Despite the financial restraints, we will continue to promote
the two laws in an attempt to persuade forest squatters to leave
protected forests in the province," he said, adding that forest
squatters had caused damage to several areas in protected forests
and the ecosystem with their seminomadic farming practices.

He said environmental and ecological deterioration was mainly
caused by illegal logging and poaching.

He warned that deforestation in the province had caused
suffering, in the form of floods and landslides, to all people in
the province.

The province has Way Kambas and Bukit Barisan Selatan national
parks, homes to rich biodiversity and rare species. --Antara