Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (right) receiving the Sabah Forestry Department 2022 Annual Report from Chief Conservator of Forestry Datuk Frederick Kugan.
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor wants the Sabah Forestry Department to revisit the Forest Enactment 1968, to allow inclusion for a new classification of forest reserve for the community.
Mooting the new classification during a forestry appreciation ceremony here on Monday night (June 26), he said this will encourage the local communities to get involved in forest conservation efforts, in addition to future settlement consideration for them according to the communities’ needs and suitability.
At the same time, Hajiji also called on the department to ramp up efforts to protect Sabah's forests through various measures; among them through the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative that began in 2007 and the Forest Beyond Timber initiative that explores the potential of generating non-timber revenue from the forest, as an alternative to creating new revenue for the state.
"These efforts are essential to support forest conservation through the transition from dependence on the supply of timber resources from virgin forests, to non-timber-based income.
"This transition will help Sabah to maintain the percentage of forest cover.
“Therefore, I hope that these conservation efforts will continue with enthusiasm, tenacity and dedication so that Sabah's forest treasures will continue to be preserved," he stressed.
Hajiji also voiced the state government’s full support of the state Forestry Department's efforts in protecting, preserving and conserving the forests in Sabah.
After recent amendments to the Forestry Enactment were passed by the state legislative assembly, the permanent forest reserve in Sabah will increase by 566.57ha, he added.
“Now 3,575 million hectares of forests in Sabah are totally protected compared to last year's 3.574 million hectares. This represented 64% of the state's land mass,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the appreciation ceremony, 24 Sustainable Forest Management License Agreement (SFMLA) license holders and 13 Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) area managers received accreditation certificates from the state Forestry Department for compliance achievement.
Hajiji expressed hope that the certification would further motivate the SFMLA concessionaires and SFM area managers to achieve this year's target.
