Sumatra, Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APP, HCVF, kerumutan,
Pekanbaru (EoF News) – Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of three environmental NGOs in Riau, Sumatra releases its Investigative Report November 2006 today. The EoF Investigation found Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to be involved in forest clearance operations in a concession in Kerumutan forest block.
EoF considers this operation allegedly illegal as well as destroying potential High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) despite APP’s own publicly announced policy to promote sustainable forest management. EoF strongly calls all the concession holder involved, PT Mutiara Sabuk Khatulistiwa, as well as APP to immediately stop their logging and timber sourcing operations to prevent questionable clearing of natural forests which are: (1) still in good condition, (2) on peat soil deeper than 3m, (3) its industry timber plantation (HTI) developed on natural forest of selective logging concession (HPH).
PT Mutiara Sabuk Khatulistiwa belonging to APP has been developing HTI on natural forest, whereas existing forestry agreements prohibited this practice. Therefore the timbers felled from its operation could be illegal. EoF also strongly calls APP to work with local NGOs to conduct HCVF assessment as well as delineate all HCVFs prior to any logging of natural forests as in concessions of PT Mutiara Sabuk Khatulistiwa.
APP responds to EoF findings that PT MSK operations in Kerumutan was granted approval from the government, still the company fails to comply with ecological requirements as mentioned before. The APP response did not answer the EoF findings on environmental aspects, hence the coalition strongly calls APP not to source timber from such allegedly illegal operations and not to destroy potential HCVFs.
Investigative Report November 2006 also highlights update of PT Triomas FDI of PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP)/APRIL where its clearcut area increases by 150 ha from 50 ha as found on September 2006 investigation. Find November 2006 Investigative Report | Bahasa Version