Residents oppose Mt. Cyclops park

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (Antara): Residents of Depapre district here have rejected a government plan to turn a 48,000-hectare nature reserve on Mt. Cyclops into a national park.

"These people draw their water from Mt. Cycloops. They are worried that if it is turned into a national park, its environment would get spoiled," the head of the local cultural institution, C. Seseray, said Monday.

The head of the local forestry office, Kayat R Sutaryo, denied that his office had recently sent a proposal to develop a national park in the area.

"The nature reserve is not large enough to be developed into a national park," he said.

Kayat however noted that the local administration did propose several years ago that forest reserves in Wasur subdistrict in Merauke district, Cendrawasih Bay, and on Mt. Cyclops be developed into national parks.

But only the Wasur and Cendrawasih Bay reserves were changed, he said.

The national park in Wasur is located near the Irian Jaya- Papua New Guinea border while the Teluk Cendrawasih underwater park covers the districts of Manokwari and Yapen Waropen.