166 Mining Company Threatens Forests of Borneo

Samarinda (ANTARA News) - WALHI East Kalimantan data reveals that increasingly severe deforestation problem actually is not from the forestry sector, but there are 166 coal-mining company that is now doing lend use forest areas so that threaten its sustainability.

"Unfortunately, most of the land that became the region lend use by coal-mining company that is included in the category of protected forest," said Director of WALHI East Kalimantan, Samarinda Isal Ward on Monday.

morally and for the sake of saving kaltim remaining natural forests, he added there is no argument that justified when the new Minister of Forestry forest lending agrees to activities outside of forestry proposed by the Government of district / city and more than 60 mining companies in Kalimantan.

Based on data that showed the largest Walhi who filed a license lend use of forest is in South of 72 coal companies, and then reached 65 companies in East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan 20 companies, eight companies.

Since 2001, deforestation rates in East Kalimantan (the reduction of forest area) reached 350 thousand hectares every year, causing losses for communities in East Kalimantan are still dependent of forest products.

He explained that in the process, the central government through the ministry should not give permission lend use of forest areas for activities outside kehutatan although the rules / regulations are justified when existing SK Menhut lend use of forest areas.

"This request should be reviewed in depth given the increasing levels of deforestation in East Kalimantan and even penetrated the Protection Forest in East Kalimantan," he said.

Exploitation of forest area in East Kalimantan will have a very significant impact on sustainability and preservation of forests in East Kalimantan and directly affected the ecological disaster that occurred in East Kalimantan.

He added that for the case in the District Nunukan monitoring results show that the District Government kaltim WALHI (Pemkab) Nunukan had engaged in road clearing projects in protected forest areas.

"Regency until now have not indicated to be shown to the public regarding SK Menhut lend use Protected Forest areas in Nunukan district," he said.

Nunukan Pemkab action was a violation of the function areas and legislation applicable to the forestry sector.

"Seyogyakanya security forces should stop the project within the protected forest area," he asserted.

Isal added that the new Minister of Forestry also should not give SK lend use to Nunukan regency until there is an in-depth review of the project indicated the project has been carried out considering the absence of SK lend use issued by the Ministry of Forestry.

"Regarding the coal mining, it is obvious that these activities will indirectly reduce the forest area in East Kalimantan and to this reclamation carried out by some big companies in East Kalimantan coal has not run optimally," he said.

Lack of realization of the reclamation program is evident with the discovery of some reclaimed land that has not been maximally by a team of provincial Parliament some time that has passed. (Ant/K004)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com