Sumatra, Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APRIL, bukit tigapuluh, Citra Sumber Sejahtera, CSS,
EoF News (PEKANBARU) -- Eyes on the Forest today launched an investigative report on PT Citra Sumber Sejahtera (CSS), an affiliated to Asian Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), which found breaking the group's commitment in protecting High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF).
Eyes on the Forest Investigation that conducted in August 2010 has shown that PT CSS clearcut natural forest in area identified as High Conservation Value Forest based upon APRIL assessment and WWF review. It is so ironic that HCVF assessment that conducted by APRIL alone is breached by the company itself as it continues clearcutting the natural forest.PT Citra Sumber Sejahtera (PT CSS) is a timber supplier and acacia planter under management of APRIL or locally PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (PT RAPP) in Riau Province. In 2010 the company obtained logging license to clearcut a forest of 4,864 hectares based upon a decree of SK 16/BPHT-3/2010 dated 25 March 2010 with the number of logs potentially reached 98,610 cubic meter.In the previous year, PT CSS granted logging license for 4,536 hectares of forest referring to a Decree of SK. 05/BPHT-3/2009, 31 March 2009 in compatible with SK.38/BPHT-3/2009, where number of logs potentially estimated reaching 635,810 cubic meter. Since 2005, APRIL has committed to its buyers, investors and the general public to protect High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) professionally and independently identified following the stakeholder driven HCVF Toolkit for Indonesia.
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In August 2005, APRIL conducted HCVF Review in concession of PT CSS which also agreed and followed by WWF Indonesia in Oktober, two months after the signing. HCVF Studies by APRIL and HCVF review by WWF in this concession until the time when this report is edited, there have’nt been an agreement that written on delineation by multistakeholders. In 2008, APRIL had signed a contract with the Rainforest Alliance not to clear any natural forests for which no professional HCVF assessments had been done and for which the company’s HCVF delineation was disputed by stakeholders . PT CSS concession is a part of object in the mentioned contract which obliges the company not to clear natural forest prior to delineation is agreed.As the matter of fact, by 2009 and 2010, APRIL kept clearing forest and receiving raw material from natural forest that potentially contained HCVF. In 2010, the Rainforest Alliance suspended an interim FSC Controlled Wood certificate which it had issued to APRIL’s Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper’s Forestry Division (SW-CW/FM-003712) PT CSS consession is located in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, a global priority Tiger Conservation Landscape, range of central Sumatra’s largest remaining herd of the endangered Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). Two indigenous tribes, Talang Mamak and Suku Orang Rimba live in this landscape.
Download Investigative Report PT CSS in Bukit Tigapuluh forest
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