Indonesia to declare moratorium on forest exploitation

Antara 6 May 11;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono plans to sign a presidential decree on a moratorium on forest exploitation this month, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said here on Friday.

"The decree will be signed soon by the President. Yes, after the ASEAN summit," he said after attending the moving of an African Baobab tree to the yard of state University of Indonesia.

He declined to disclose the exact date of the signing of the moratorium on primary forest and peat land forest exploitation, saying only it was the implementation of the Letter of Intent between Indonesia and Norway (Oslo agreement).

"For the details just ask the minister of forestry. They are all the same including size, REDD Plus mechanism, date of signing," he said about points in the decree which were reported to be different in wording from that in the proposal of the forestry ministry and the UN Task Force on REDD.

On the same occasion Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the signing of the decree would give legal certainty with regard to the implementation of the Oslo agreement.

The forestry ministry, he said, is the party that is intensively preparing the decree according to use of forestry sectors.

He admitted that the preparation had been done since September although the LoI was only made as of January 1, 2011 and would only be effective in the next two years.

"It will indeed be signed in May. Although without a presidential decree the forestry ministry however has already stopped issuing any kind of new license for primary natural forests," he said.

He admitted that under the presidential decree 40 to 50 hectares of primary forests and 12 million peat land forests may not be touched.

"The size has been agreed upon by the UN Task Force for REDD and the presidential decree will ease its implementation in the regions," he said.

The minister said although the LOI would be implemented it would not hinder government efforts in developing industrial forest (HTI) development as part of the country`s economic corridor development and efforts to meet national food needs.

"The HTI must go on. There are still 30 million hectare forest areas that have no forests and 12 million hectares of neglected areas. In principles the development of cane plantations and other efforts to assure food security will continue," he said.

He said the signing of the presidential decree will also be followed by the readiness of financial and funding institutions to implement more than US$1 billion in grant from Norway.

Besides financial institutions there will also be monitoring, reporting and evaluating institutions that would measure the results of efforts in reducing emissions and sustainable forest management in all regions. (*)

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono

WALHI hails planned moratorium on forest clearing
Antara 9 May 11;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Environmental Forum (WALHI) has hailed the government`s plan to sign the presidential regulation (Perpres) on forest moratorium this May.

"WALHI supports the moratorium efforts with measurable and clear stages to improve the condition of forests and the environment in Indonesia by prioritizing the people`s safety," Deddy Ratih, executive forest campaign manager of WALHI, said here Monday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to sign the presidential regulation on forest moratorium this May as part of the implementation of the Letter of Intent (LOI) between Indonesia and Norway.

Since the government announced the moratorium plan in May 2010, there have been promises and media statement only, while forest clearing has continued massively, he said.

The delay in the implementation of moratorium is caused among other things by conflicts of interests among different sectors and lack of coordination among technical institutions.

The moratorium delay has also indicated that there is no serious will to protect the environment and forests in Indonesia.

WALHI hoped that the planned moratorium could become a starting point to recover the country`s environment for the sake of sustainable development for the future generation.

The planned moratorium should emphasize on banning new forest clearing for major-scale plantation industries and distributing land for farmers as well as developing community forest areas, according to WALHI.

The government should also revoke licenses of forest concession holders which have violated environmental regulations and should turn down carbon offset and carbon market offers which could reduce the country`s sovereignty.

The government is supposed to impose a moratorium on deforestation starting January 2011, but it has been delayed for the last four months.

Immediate implementation of moratorium has been called for especially by environmental NGO activists to protect Indonesia`s remaining 130-million-hectare forest, which is the world`s third largest after Brazil and Congo.

(SYS/F001)

Editor: Suryanto