Timber certification helps to counter illegal logging

Timber certification helps to counter illegal logging

Hasrul, The Jakarta Post, Kendari

Environmentalists are praising the South Konawe regency in
Southeast Sulawesi for its timber product certification, or
"ecolabeling" scheme, which involves the community in forest
conservation.

The program, backed by the provincial administration,
prioritizes a community-based forest management system, using a
tree-selection culling method in the hope of reducing illegal
logging in the area.

Mal, a local Environmental Parliament Watch (EPW) activist,
said the central government should support the ecolabeling
program, which managed natural resources in a sustainable manner,
to combat illegal logging.

During the past four years, widespread illegal logging had
seriously damaged the region's natural resources, affected the
livelihoods of locals and cost the province billions of rupiah in
potential legal revenue, Mal said.

"Illegal logging didn't just happen -- it is the result of
unclear policies that give violators room to exploit forest
reserves," he said.

People were abusing schemes that gave logging permits for
privately owned land (IPKTM), sawmill operation permits and
loggers were backed by corrupt officials, the police and the
military, Mal said.

Constant and vigilant monitoring of forests by residents who
had a stake in the conservation of the area would be necessary if
such practices were to be eradicated. It was also important for
the central government to listen to residents concerns, he said.

"It is time for the public to be given a chance to voice their
views in discussions on forestry problems, so that the problems
will not only be those of the government," Mal said.

There are so many groups involved in the ecolabeling process
that sometimes it is hard to see the wood for the trees.

The program was initiated by the South Sulawesi Forest Network
Institution (JAUH) to empower the community living around the
forests.

Established in 2002, JAUH's task was to introduce the Social
Forestry (SF) program that was conceived by the Multistakeholder
Forest Programme (MFP) of the Ministry of Forestry, in
cooperation with the Department for International Development
(DFID).

The program is to be carried out in a 38,950-hectare teakwood
forest area, and would take in 46 villages in four districts in
South Konawe. It is expected to empower 8,250 families in the
area.

JAUH, meanwhile, has been collaborating with the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) to conduct certification programs for
privately-owned logging enterprises.

The Smart Wood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has
initiated a program on forest management and the community-based
Hutan Jaya Lestari cooperative has supervised residents who are
using the tree-selection system.

Smart Wood researchers will assess socio-cultural and socio-
economic aspects of forest management based on FSC guidelines and
supervise small-scale forest enterprises.

An agreement has also been signed with Tropical Forest Trust
(TFT) to assist in forest cooperative management due to their
expertise in the field of certification and forest management.

"So far, we only know that forest concession holders control
thousands of hectares of forest and the community are not given
the right to manage forests. JAUH is trying to facilitate
community ownership by explaining and promoting ecolabeling, and
communities it is hoped will play a bigger role eventually," said
Silverius Oscar Unggul of JAUH.

Silverius said he expected total support from the local
administration for the scheme. After attaining the ecolabeling
certificates, the province could enjoy up to a 20-fold increase
of revenue because timber products could be directly marketed
overseas, he said.

MFP-DFID Sulawesi region coordinator Anas Nikoyan said the
groups supported the certification program because it would
provide the community the opportunity to manage the forests in a
sustainable manner.

"Besides involving the local people, the program will also be
beneficial to test cooperation among stakeholders and contribute
to the rise in regional revenues," Silverius said.

A Smart Wood team arrived recently in South Konawe regency to
start the initial stage of disseminating information on
ecolabeling.