WWF manages forestry park

WWF manages forestry park

JAKARTA (JP): Conservation organization World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) Indonesia presented on Tuesday, a management plan to
the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations for the 800,000 hectare
Betung Kerihun National Park in West Kalimantan.

WWF Indonesia's executive director Agus Purnomo said the
management plan mapped out a strategy to ensure the park's
protection and development over the next 25 years.

It covers consolidation of the park's legal status,
conservation of the natural resources and ecosystems and the
sustainable utilization of the environment for the prosperity of
local people.

"I hope with the management plan we can develop Betung Kerihun
into a natural park which is internationally recognized for its
high quality management," Agus said when handing over the plan to
the Minister of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin Nasution.

Agus said the management plan was completed following three
years of surveys and research funded by the International
Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

He added that the biodiversity of Betung Kerihun National Park
was considered to be the richest on Borneo island with fossils
dating back at least 3,000 years. (gis)