Bernama 15 Oct 16;
LUMUT, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- An area of 997,604 hectares of forest in Perak has been gazetted as permanent forest reserves as of last month, said State Tourism, Culture, Communications and Multimedia Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi.
She said of the total, 42.223 hectares were categorised as the Mangrove Permanent Forest Reserve which recorded an increase after the state government gazetted 616 hectares of mangrove area in Kinta and Manjung as Lekir Permanent Forest Reserve last year.
She was speaking to reporters after officiating the Bridge of Knowledge and the planting of 10,000 mangrove seedlings at Parit Haji Dollah in Lekir here today.
According to Nolee Ashilin, the increase of permanent forest reserve was proof that the state government was committed in preserving these forests for the benefit of the people and nature.
She said since 2005 the state had replanted over 14 million mangrove trees and other suitable trees involving an area of 3,710 hectares.
The tree planting programme was supported by the federal government which allocated RM143,000 through the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia to Perak State Forestry Department.
Meanwhile, Manjung District Officer, Mohamad Fariz Mohamad Hanip said his office was focusing on research and ways to conserve the mangrove forest in the area.
"We often received statements from certain parties as if we were destroying the forests without them checking the facts and information first.
"I want to stress that we often make indepth research and no element of deforestation occurred here in Manjung area," he said.
-- BERNAMA
