New Straits Times 20 Oct 09;
KUALA LUMPUR: Weak forest management saw indiscriminate logging being carried out at forested areas in Kelantan without any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports.
The 2008 Auditor-General's Report on the Pas-run state found that its forestry management was unsatisfactory as existing laws and legislation had not been adhered to.
Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang noted that there were weaknesses in terms of enforcement and lack of coordination between the Kelantan Forestry Department (JPNK) and other agencies.
Citing an example, Ambrin said he found that while JPNK had approved eight applications for logging activities along the boundary of Taman Negara Kuala Koh, two companies had started work without a EIA report.
"This happened because JPNK was unaware of the existence of the provision which required companies to obtain an EIA report for areas sharing boundaries with Taman Negara."
Ambrin said there was also no EIA report on logging activities at permanent forest reserves in areas that werelocated 1,000m above sea level.
He said a private company had been granted approval to log at the Tanah Tinggi Lojing Sungai Betis and Sungai Brook at Gua Musang without EIA reports as required by law.
As a result, there was severe damage to the environment, including landslides, indiscriminate felling of trees, erosion and damage to flora and fauna.
The audit also found illegal logging activities at Hutan Timur Machang district as a result of poor monitoring and enforcement by JPNK.
It also took the state government to task for failing to gazette protected status to all permanent forests reserves.
"Failure to do so could affect the safety and protection of the forests," he said.
The report noted an urgent need to have comprehensive and continuous monitoring and enforcement of logging activities.
"Although it is less than 500ha, a tract of permanent forest reserve which shares a boundary with Taman Negara has to have an EIA report before a logging license can be granted.
"JPNK has to take immediate action to gazette tracts of forests as protected areas, especially highlands that are at least 1,000m above sea level."
