The Star 3 Aug 09;
KOTA KINABALU: Nearly half of Sabah’s 7.6 million hectare land area is now under permanent forest cover following amendments to a state law that has seen the creation of 12 new forest reserves.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansor said at the state assembly that 3.6 million ha were now preserved as forests – ranging from the unique Karangas jungles in the south western Sipitang districts to mangroves at islands along the east coast.
“It is our intention to leave our forests untouched as much as possible for our future generations,” he said.
In this regard, he said, Sabah has exceeded the national forestry policy requiring the states to preserve 47% of their land under forest cover.
Tabling the amendments to the Forests (Constitution of Forest Reserves and Amendment) Enactment 1984, Nasrun said the acreage of Class 1 Forest Reserves had been increased by more than 22,000ha, nearly the size of Penang island.
He said the state now had more than 3.6 million ha of such forests compared to about 3.5 million ha previously.
Nasrun said the size of mangrove and virgin forests had also increased by 4,647ha and 486ha respectively following the amendments.
The state now had more than 320,000ha of mangrove forests while its virgin jungle reserves now stood at more than 92,000ha.
The size of forest reserves for recreational use had also increased by 344ha to more than 21,000ha.
Nasrun said Sabah was also reducing the size of commercial forest reserves by 17,594ha from 2.63 million ha so that the acreage for the Class 1 Forest Reserves could be increased.
12 forest reserves created
Daily Express 4 Aug 09;
Kota Kinabalu: In an unparalleled move undertaken by any State Government in favour of water catchment conservation in Malaysia, the State Legislative Assembly approved, Monday, the creation of 12 forest reserves through the passage of the Forests (Constitution of Forest Reserves and Amendment) Enactment 1984.
Tabling the Bill, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansor said with the development nearly half of Sabah's 7.6 million-hectare land area is now under permanent forest cover.
He said a total of 3.6 million hectares were now preserved as forests ranging from the unique karangas jungles in the south western Sipitang districts to mangroves at islands along the east coast.
In this regard, he said Sabah has exceeded the national forestry policy requiring the states to preserve 47 per cent of their land under forest cover.
Nasrun said the amount of Class 1 Protection Forest Reserves had been increased by more than 22,000 hectares, nearly the size of Penang island.
He said the State now had more than 3.6mil hectares of such forests compared to about 3.5mil hectares previously.
Nasrun said the amount of mangrove and virgin forest reserves had also increased by 4,647 hectares and 486 hectares respectively following the amendments.
The State now had more than 320,000 hectares of mangrove forests while its virgin jungle reserves now stood at more than 92,000 hectares.
The amount of amenity forest reserves for recreational use had also been increased by 344 hectares to more than 21,000 hectares.
Conversely, Nasrun said Sabah was reducing the amount of its commercial forest reserves by 17,594 hectares from 2.63mil hectares to make way for the increased Class 1 Protection Forest Reserves.
"It is our intention to leave as much of our forests untouched for future generations," he said, adding the amendment was also to re-classify two Second Class Forest Reserves (commercial) and First Class Forest Reserve (Protection).
The amendment was also to re-gazzette four existing forest reserves for coordination and updating of the Forest Enactment Schedule 1984.
The newly created I Class forest reserves are Gomantong-Geluang-Gesusu (590ha) in Kudat, Bukit Hampuan (1,253ha) in Ranau, Bukau Api-Api (2,095ha) in Beaufort and Ganui (330ha) that used to be in the Sabah Forest Industries' concession area.
Also 900ha of Sipitang Forest Reserve and 16,750ha of Sungai Pinangah and Gunung Rara Forest Reserves were re-classified as Protection Forest Reserve (Class 1) to be known as Sipitang Forest Reserve (Class I) and Imbak Canyon Forest Reserve (Class I), respectively.
These areas are found to be suitable for water catchment, maintaining climate stability, soil protection, research, education, flora and fauna conservation and eco-tourism.
Under the amendment, 56ha of the Deramakot forest was also constituted and classified as a Commercial Forest Reserve (Class II) to be known as Deramakot Forest Reserve (Extension).
The areas classified as Amenity Forest Reserves (Class IV) among others were Pulau Tabun (16 ha) and Pulau Saranga (18 ha) in Lahad Datu and the 8.53 ha land on which the State Forestry Department headquarters is located in Sandakan, Batu Punggul (150 ha) in Labang Valley, Sapulut, Nabawan.
About 791 ha of Pulau Malawali (100km east of Kudat) and 3,856.56 ha of Sungai Lasun and Pulau Evans forests in Lahad Datu are to be constituted and classified as Mangrove Forest Reserve (Class V).
12 Forest Reserves Will Be Created In Sabah
Bernama 3 Aug 09;
KOTA KINABALU, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- The Sabah state assembly on Monday passed the Forest Enactment (Forest Reserve Creation and Amendment) 1994 which will lead to the creation of 12 forest reserves.
The forest reserves to be created were Gomantong-Geluang-Gesusu, Bukit Hampuan, Api-Api, Ganui, Deramakot, Pulau Tabun and Pulau Saranga, Khazanah, Batu Punggul, Pulau Malawali, Sg Lasun and Pulau Evans, Kerangas and Sepilok.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansur who tabled the bill said the 12 forest reserves would cover some 9,706.7 hectares.
He said the state government had also reclassified Sipitang Class II commercial forest reserve and Imbak Kanyon Class II forest reserve as Class 1 forest reserve (Protected.
It had also reclassified a commercial forest reserve and a forest reserve as Class I forest reserve (Protected).
Nasrun said the amendment also reclassified four forest reserves to streamline and update the Forest Enactment Schedule 1984.
They were Sapagaya Class I (Protected), Kebun Cina Class IV (Amenities), Rumbia Class IV (Amenities) and Kelawat Class I (Protected).
He said the creation of 12 forest reserves would expand Sabah's forest reserves from 3,594,366 hectares to 3,604,894 hectares or about 49 percent of the state.
-- BERNAMA
