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 4 November 2002
Sarawak Assembly: 49pc of Sarawak designated as permanent forest
Sulok Tawie & Letitia Samuel
KUCHING, Nov 4: THE Sarawak Government has designated six million hectares, or
49 per cent of Sarawak's total land area of 12.3 million hectares, as permanent
forest estates meant for sustainable harvesting of timber.
The State has also allocated one million hectares as totally protected areas
for the
conservation of flora and founa, ecotourism, education, and scientific studies
and research.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan
said the one million hectares were in accordance with the International Timber
and Trade Organisation's mission report, adequate to represent the full range of
biological diversity of Sarawak.
Winding up for the Chief Minister's Department and the Ministry of Planning and
Resource Management at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday, he said such
move showed the Government's commitment to conserve the forest heritage and
resources.
Awang Tengah said for Sarawak, forest conservation was a commitment to ensure
the sustainable supply of forest products, maintenance of environmental quality
and provision of suitable habitat for wildlife.
"Forest conservation also means the maintenance of a storehouse of genetic
resources useful for the improvement of indigenous tree species, agricultural
crops and livestock," he said.
On illegal activities in the forest resources, he said the Forest Department had
employed retired police officers to improve effectiveness of enforcement and
also carry out aerial surveillance using helicopters and satellite pictures to
detect illegal activities.
He said logging operators caught and found guilty of illegal logging and related
forestry offences would not have their licences renewed.
Awang Tengah also said a number of the flora and founa found in Sarawak was of
endemic species as they were found only in certain parts of the world.
He said if not properly managed and conserved, they would become extinct and be
lost
forever.
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