Mangrove rehabilitation in Bali urged

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post 27 Jan 10;

Bali Forest Office has frequently asked several government offices and state-owned companies to return the borrowed mangrove forest areas in Nusa Dua to the office.

Head of the office AAN Buana said Monday that the governmental offices and private companies had utilized 169.4 hectares of mangrove forest areas for various facilities including office buildings and headquarters under an agreement of five to 10 years of utilization.

A number of government agencies included Bali provincial administration, Bali Public Works Office, the Public Works Ministry, the state-owned PLN electricity company, the state-owned oil company PT Pertamina, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) office, and Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC), which managed the Nusa Dua resort complex.

"Many of the offices have been occupying the reclaimed mangrove forest areas for more than 10 years. There should be clarification from the related users," Buana said.

Based on the Forestry Ministry's Decree No.P 43/2008, the utilization of forested areas must be limited to 20 years.

Buana added that the agreement period had already expired.

"We must take further action - legal action if necessary."

He said the forest office had reported the case to the Prosecutor's Office, and was awaiting a response.

Data from the forest office revealed BTDC had asked permission to utilize 30 hectares of mangrove forests for the development of a lagoon in the Nusa Dua resort complex for the 1994-1999 period.

The company was also granted a permit to use a 3.03-hectare mangrove forest as the site for an alternative entrance road for the 1992-2000 period.

"Up to the present, there has been no renewal agreement," Buana said.

The Public Works Ministry used 46.08 hectares for an estuary estate (1994-1999) and 14.40 hectares (1984-1989) for a waste disposal center. BMKG used 0.02 hectares of forest area to construct a wind-monitoring tower (1991-1996).

Bali provincial administration built a ceramic study and research center on a 1.37 hectares of land, while Pertamina used 0.04 hectares for the construction of a connecting pipe to the Ngurah Rai Airport.

PT PLN used 66.55 hectares of mangrove areas to construct the Pesanggaran power plant.