Indonesian government to stop allowing conversion of primary, peatland forests

Antara 18 Oct 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government is to stop issuing permits for conversion of primary forest zones and peatland forests in another effort to decrease emission of green house gases, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said on Monday.

"In accordance with the national action plan to lower emissions of green house gases, we will stop issuing temporary permits for conversion of primary forest zones and peat lands so as to preserve our forests," Hasan told the press at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs.

"In the longer term, the government`s target of lowering the emission of green house gases by 26 percent by year 2020 will be achieved," the minister said, adding that the policy of stopping the issuance of forest conversion permits will be based on a Presidential Instruction.

The Presidential Instruction is now being prepared and expected to be ready at the end of this month, Hasan added. The moratorium on permits for forest land conversion will be effective for two years (2011-2012).

Minister Hasan said the total area of primary forests and peat land forests in Indonesia currently was 40 million hectares. The condition of area is expected to be better with the introduction of new forest management practices.

Agricultural activites, he said, will be permitted as long as they are carried out on idle land areas or outside peat land forests.

The moratorium on issuance of forest land conversion permits would be implemented for provinces whose forest areas were still in good condition like Papua, part of Kalimantan and Aceh for Sumatera.(*)