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)