Residents cutting down forest for firewood

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post/Bogor

As demand for firewood increases following the 200 percent price hike on kerosene, hundreds of low-income people living in the vicinity of the Gunung Walat research forest in Cicantayan -- an hour south of Bogor -- have begun cutting down trees for firewood to cook with or sell.

The research forest director Supriyanto said that although the forest is protected, indigenous people can take some of the forest products for their own needs.

"Usually just a few people enter the forest to take the dry branches as firewood a few times a week. Now, dozens of people come everyday and they even take seedlings," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"They usually leave the newly felled trees to dry and come back one week later. If the forest patrol finds the trees before they come back, we'll chop the wood into small pieces and spread it around back in the forest," Supriyanto added.

According to the residents, they need firewood for cooking, but some abused the forest for profit.

"We can sell a bundle of the firewood Rp 10,000 (some US$1) to the markets in Cicantayan or the neighboring Cibadak district," one of them said.

Supriyanto said that possibility of a forest fire was also likely because the poachers often cook food, while in the forest.

"We are worried ... all we can do now is to keep telling the residents not to cut the trees and leave the seedlings," he added.