Protected forests under threat

Protected forests under threat

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: More than 1.6 million hectares of
forest in East Kalimantan remain under immediate threat despite
being declared a conservation area.

The provincial conservation and natural resources office's
head, Ade H. Rahmat, said yesterday the biggest threat was
illegal logging.

He said loggers continued to evade patrols and ignore the
environmental consequences of their illegal activities in the
province's nine national parks.

Antara reported that the Kutai National Park had shrunk to
half its original size because of the logging.

Only 37 officers have been assigned to protect the 1.6 million
hectares of protected forests in East Kalimantan. An ideal number
has been put at 290.