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)