Provinces urged to think of forest conservation

Provinces urged to think of forest conservation

JAKARTA (JP): Provincial administrations, which will be given
greater authority to manage their forest resources beginning next
year, should not use their power to boost regional revenue at the
expense of forest conservation.

"The decentralization of power should not be interpreted as a
contest to earn as much money as possible for the provinces
through the exploitation of forests," Junior Minister of Forestry
Nurmahmudi Ismail said in a speech at a workshop on
decentralization in the forestry sector.

The minister said that although provincial administrations
would have more power to manage their forest resources,
sustainable forest management should continue to be followed.

The government will implement an autonomy law next year,
giving more power and rights to provincial administrations in
regulating and managing their natural resources.

In the forestry sector, provincial governments will have the
right to issue permits on the utilization of wood products,
unprotected flora and fauna, plantations and the processing of
forest products.

The provincial authorities will, for example, be able to issue
forest concessions of up to 100,000 hectares.

The central government will maintain its authority in
establishing the criteria and standards of forest management,
inventory taking and establishing the use of forest areas.

The central government also will have the power to change the
status and function of forest areas, to establish forest and
wildlife reserves, as well as hunting areas.

Nurmahmudi, the former minister of forestry and plantations
before the merger of his portfolio with the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, has been said to oppose regional
autonomy because he does not want the central government to
relinquish its rights over forest areas.

"We are not against autonomy, but forestry should be managed
in unison so the sustainability (of the forests) can be ensured,"
he said.

Sustainable forest management can be achieved only if all
parties adhere to the National Forestry Program, which will
serve as a guideline for all policies concerning the forestry
sector, Nurmahmudi said.

The National Forestry Program (NFP) is currently under
discussion.

He said the regional autonomy law would put added
responsibility on provincial administrations to solve problems
such as illegal logging and land clearing.

"Provincial administrations should be more serious in dealing
with illegal logging. If not, their earnings from the forestry
sector will drop," Nurmahmudi said.

The workshop was organized as part of Indonesia's commitment
to the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), which wants the
country to use the process of decentralization as a tool to
enhance sustainable forest management.

The government has agreed on eight items, including ensuring
the cooperation and coordination of other ministries in imposing
strong measures against illegal loggers, the closure of illegal
sawmills, speeding up forest resource assessments as a basis for
the formulation of the NFP, evaluating policies on forest
conversion and placing a moratorium on all natural forest
conversions until the NFP is passed.

The moratorium on natural forest conversion became effective
on Aug. 23 for all applications made after May 22.

Nurmahmudi said difficulties had arisen in trying to close
down illegal sawmills, as they had become such a part of the
livelihood of the local communities the closures would seem
almost like a breach of human rights.

"If the sawmills were closed down by coercive action, it would
cause problems," he said.

Nurmahmudi said he would present a progress report to the CGI
during its meeting in October. (10)