Forestry Ministry urged to formalize change of protected forest borderlines

The Ministry of Forestry has been urged to soon alter borderlines of protected forests that could be changed, in whole or in part, into mining areas based on the outcome of its study.

R. Sukhyar, secretary of the director general of geology and mineral resources, told Petromindo.Com that the forestry ministry?s move was needed to allow mining firms to soon resume their projects in contract areas alleged to be part of protected forests.

?If the Forestry Ministry allows the companies to resume their projects, it should also change its regulations on protected forest borderlines,? Sukhyar said in response to last week?s reports that the ministry had allowed six mining concession holders to resume their projects in protected forest areas.

The Forestry Ministry said that it allowed PT Gag Nikel, PT Weda Bay and PT Nusa Halmahera to resume their mining operations, which had been suspended for almost two years because their concession areas had been found overlapping with protected forests. The outcome of the Ministry?s study showed that certain parts of their operation areas, all in Papua and Maluku, could be used for economic activities.

The ministry also said, based on the same study results, that three other firms namely PT Barisan Tropical Mining (South Sumatra), PT Jorong Barutama Greston (South Kalimantan) and PT Galuh Cempaka (South Kalimantan) were allowed to carry out mining activities in their entire concession areas.

At least 22 companies whose mining concession areas overlap with protected forests had been asked to stop their activities following the issuing in 1999, Law No. 41/1999, which bans open pit mining in protected forest areas. (godang)