‘CENTRAL FOREST SPINE’ FOREST COMPLEXES MUST BE SUSTAINABLY MANAGED AND EXISTING AREA SHOULD BE MAINTAINED

Admin August 14, 2018 0 Comments

The media reported that a baby elephant was found roaming in Lintang town, Sungai Siput, Perak and had entered Sekolah Kebangsaan Lintang (SK Lintang) on August 7. The elephant calf was believed to have been lost from his habitat at Piah Forest Reserve (HS Piah) and was separated from his mother.

Based on news and reports published in the mass media from time to time, issues such as wildlife getting lost from their habitats, wildlife conflicts and deaths due to road accidents, occur due to disturbance to their habitat and habitat destruction.  These three issues will continue to occur if the authorities do not preserve and protect wildlife habitats.

The authorities at state and district levels should ensure that any development plans involving land use change does not conflict with physical planning, especially the National Physical Plan (NPP).

The NPP approved by the Cabinet Meeting on 26 April 2005 and adopted by all State Authorities is a written statement that summarizes the strategic policies for determining the direction of physical development and protection for entire Peninsular Malaysia.  The NPP is updated every five years.

The NPP has identified forest fragmentation as a threat to forest conservation and biodiversity. There is no doubt that the opening (destruction) of some of the forested areas is to meet the needs of the nation’s socio-economic development but with proper planning and sustainable management, the loss of forested areas can be minimised and forest fragmentation can be prevented.

According to the NPP and State Structure Plan, HS Piah which is connected to Air Cepam Forest Reserve (HS Air Cepam) and Temengor Forest Reserve (HS Temengor) in the North; Korbu Forest Reserve (HS Korbu) and former Chior Wildlife Reserve (RHL Chior) in the South; and Perias Forest Reserve (HS Perias) in the East in the state of Kelantan; is part of the Wildlife Corridor in the Titiwangsa Range ‘Central Forest Spine’ forest complex, which is also in the network of Environmentally Sensitive Areas.

The excision and exploitation of part of HS Piah, the excision of HS Korbu and the excision of the entire RHL Chior, which are habitats for several species of totally protected endangered mammals for conversion to agriculture and extractive (logging) activities, may create conflicts between wildlife and humans in nearby settlements.

Comparison based on records and statistics of the total area of HS Piah and HS Korbu in 2003 and 2016 are as follows: –

HS Piah:

  • 2003: 76,158 hectares
  • 2016: 74,451.26 hectares;

HS Korbu:

  • 2003: 87,942 hectares
  • 2016: 85,113.90 hectares

Based on records, among the excision of part of  HS Piah, HS Korbu and entire RHL Chior:-

HS Piah:

  • 994 hectares on 20 March 2014,
  • 1,150.55 hectares on 31 July 2014, and
  • 2,252.881 hectares on 26 May 2016;

HS Korbu:

  • 6 hectares on 18 August 2011, and
  • 1,214 hectares on 10 January 2012;

RHL Chior:

  • 7 hectares on 21 July 2014

From the entire area of HS Piah, only 17,107.00 hectares is gazetted for classification as Water Catchment Forest according to Section 10(1)(e), National Forestry Act, 1984 (Act 313) whereas the rest are classified as timber production forest under sustained yield according to Section 10(1)(a), of the same Act.

Prior to this, part of HS Piah was gazetted for classification as Virgin Jungle Reserved Forest according to Section 10(1)(g), National Forestry Act, 1984 (Act 313) but this has been repealed.

Even from the area classified as timber production forest under sustained yield, there are also some areas that are / will be exploited for the purpose of monoculture plantation or known as forest plantation, and for quarry purposes.

From the entire HS Korbu, only  27,750 hectares is gazetted for classification as Water Catchment Forest according to Section 10(1)(e), National Forestry Act, 1984 (Act 313) whereas the rest of the area is classified as timber production forest under sustained yield according to Section 10(1)(a), of the same Act.

Because HS Piah, HS Korbu and RHL Chior are located in the Titiwangsa Range ‘Central Forest Spine’ forest complex, it is one of the main wildlife corridors in Peninsular Malaysia.

It should also be noted that RHL Chior was a protected area under the management of the Department of Wildlife and National Park (PERHILITAN) Peninsular Malaysia and was the first wildlife reserve to be established in Malaysia (1903).  However since the entire reserve has been repealed, the wildlife there have ‘migrated’ to nearby habitats especially to HS Piah.

But over the past few years, HS Piah has been exploited by uncontrolled logging and forest destruction activities when some of the forest reserves were excised (fragmented) and converted to monoculture plantations.

When a permanent reserved forest is excised and the forest reserve area is converted for monoculture plantation, the original forest cover will be harvested by clear felling of trees.

Harvesting by clear felling is not subject to Selective Management System (SMS), Annual Allowable Cut (Catuan Tebangan Tahunan – CTT) and  ‘Malaysia Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management’ (MC&I) certification.

All parties should understand that when a forest area, particularly a protected area and has a ‘security of tenure’ is exploited by uncontrolled logging and forest destruction activities, it will affect forest production and services.

Therefore, SAM urges State Authorities to manage the forest complexes in the ‘Central Forest Spine’ in a sustainable manner and maintain the existing Permanent Reserved Forest area by identifying suitable areas for further protection and classify the forest, whichever is appropriate, under Section 10 (1) (b – l) of the National Forestry Act, 1984.

 

Letter To The Editor, 14 August 2018