The West Java legislative  council has proposed to  draft a special provincial  ordinance pushing for  greater cooperation in  community-based forest  management.
The legislature’s Commission B chair on environmental, development and economic affairs Hasan Zaenal said the initiative was aimed at curbing theft and forest conversion, which had curbed efforts to expand forested areas in West Java.
The current forest area in West Java is around 23 percent of the total area of the province of 3.6 million hectares, or around 850,000 hectares. The ideal forested area should is  45 percent of the size of the province.
“We will expand the involvement  of communities in managing the forests so they would obtain immediate economic benefits from the surrounding forests and no longer think to get involved in illegal logging and  forest conversion: Hasan said in  Bandung on Thursday.
Hasan added that the draft ordinance on community forest management and community-based forests  had been proposed in a plenary session on May 31 for immediate deliberation with the provincial administration, especially the West Java  Forestry Office.
The community-based forest  management will focus on producing  timber-based building and furniture  materials, including bamboo, mahogany, acacia, teak and sengon, to meet  West Java’s increasing demand.
The bylaw will also support the expansion of community-based forests, which have shown significant  productivity by applying eco-friendly planting patterns.
Timber production in community  forests in West Java is positive, according to Zaenal.
In 2005, around 220,000 hectares  of community-based forests in West  Java were able to produce 925,000  cubic meters of timber and in 2008,  264,000 hectares were able to produce 2.9 million cubic meters of timber products.
Separately, West Java Forestry Office head Budi Susatijo expressed  hope that the new bylaw could fully  support the community-based forest management program, which  had limited funds, as the provincial  administration could only set aside  1 percentofits budget for the program.
Budi said that members of the  commu ity could help the forestry  office an state-run forestry firm Perhutani in curbing illegal logging.
“We hope the new bylaw will  increase the chances of obtaining  funds from outside sources, such  as corporate social responsibility  funds,” he said.
West Java Vice Governor Yusuf  Macan Effendi, better known as  Dede Yusuf, said he hoped the new  bylaw could further restore upland  areas, because the destruction of  these areas caused floods, landslides  and drought.
”We wish to meet our own timber  demand and not bring it in from other provinces, due to our quick pace  of development,” Dede said.
Dede added that the forest expansion was also aimed at deriving income from carbon credit schemes,  although the Forestry Ministry has  yet to issue a regulation guaranteeing  carbon credit for forests in Java.
Dede said West Java could claim  ound Rp 1 trillion (US$1l7 million)  from carbon credits to append the provincial budget.
Nama Media : JAKARTA POST
Tanggal       : Jumat, 3 Juni 2011 hal 5
Penulis        : Yuli Tri Suwarni
TONE           : NETRAL