Sumatran forest-fire prevention team briefed

Sumatran forest-fire prevention team briefed

PEKANBARU, Riau (JP): The Ministry of Forestry urged its
officials in Sumatra to take preventive measures to reduce the
risk of forest fires, which tend to break out on the island
during the dry season.

"1996 is expected to be a forest-fire prone year. We need to
step up our vigilance," Soemarsono, the Director General for
Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, said on Tuesday.

"The impact of the forest fire in Sumatra could transcend
national borders that it requires serious handling," Soemarsono
told a meeting of an inter-departmental team which was also
attended by State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.

"Preventing forest fires is more important than containing
them. Your working program should emphasize the prevention
aspect," he added.

Some 6,437 hectares of forests and 3,880 hectares of
plantation sites were razed during last year's dry season.

The hazard remains a major concern of the government, despite
the progress that has been made since last year in controlling
the outbreak of fires.

In 1994, out-of-control forest fires sent waves of thick black
smoke over neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, posing major
health hazards to people there as well as Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Government figures show that 178,193 hectares of forests were
razed in 1994.

Quoting officials at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in
Jakarta, Soemarsono said the dry season outside of Java is likely
to start in May. "We have to make the necessary preparations to
anticipate them (forest fires) early."

Soemarsono also heads the National Coordination Team for the
Prevention of Forest Fires which groups officials from various
related government agencies, including the Environmental Impact
Management Agency (Bapedal).

Minister Sarwono, who also chairs Bapedal, said that most
forest fires are caused by the reckless exploitation of forestry
resources.

Forest concession holders, he said, tend to choose the easiest
method for clearing forests, which they accomplish by setting
fire to piles of logs and brush.

This irresponsible practice, he said, is also widely used to
clear forestry areas for settlements and industrial sites.

"They could have used the chips as raw materials for pulp and
plywood," he said.

He said Indonesia is still studying modern forest management
technologies which help optimize forestry resources while
conserving them at the same time.

He said compost, for example, is found in abundance on timber
estates and should be used as organic fertilizer.

"Plantation sites in Sumatra have to import 300,000 tons of
organic fertilizer each year, when compost could be used for that
purpose," the minister said.

Sarwono said that some locals are also to blame for the forest
fires because many still practice slash and burn farming. (imn)