Syarikat Samling Timber Sdn Bhd A member of Samling Global Limited PUBLIC SUMMARY Forest Management Plan for Forest Management Unit Ravenscourt Sdn Bhd T/ 0294 for the period 2016 to 2026 Page 1 of 6
This is a comprehensive, integrated Forest Management Plan (FMP) for Ravenscourt Sdn. Bhd., Forest Timber Licence (FTL) No. T/0294. The Forest Management Unit (FMU) is to be known as Ravenscourt FMU. The Plan will be implemented from 2016 to 2026. The FMP will be subject to a mid-term review in the fifth year in order to allow changes as necessitated by further research works and findings during the course of implementation. Ravenscourt FMU has an area of 117,941 Ha. It is located between latitudes 3º 45.00 N to 4º 13.071 N and longitudes 115º 10.21 E to 115º 41.16 E in the Lawas District of Limbang Division, Sarawak. About 70% of the FMU (82,407 Ha) is within Limbang Protected Forest and another 21% or 24,492 Ha is inside the proposed Trusan-Kelalan Protected Forest. The remaining area of the FMU is occupied by the respective kampongs. (see map on following page) Ravenscourt Sdn. Bhd. FTL No. T/0294 is a long-term licence. Following certification it is expected that FTL No. T/0294 will be renewed for a sixty year period. A new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was approved by Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) on 02 April 2009. Quarterly Environmental Monitoring Report (EMR) has been provided to the NREB regularly since the approval of the EIA Report. This FMP has been prepared to incorporate sustainable forest management principles as required by the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) i.e. Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Natural Forest) [MC&I (Natural Forest)]. The FMU is about 113 km south of Lawas Town. The road continues in the same southerly direction to Ravenscourt Camp, the Administrative Centre at KM109. The FMU is served by logging roads constructed by the Samling Group A Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) was carried out and the collected field data were analysed by FORMIX3 which was developed by a consultant and copy-righted for Samling. The FORMIX3 growth simulation model determines optimal harvesting parameters and derives the Annual Allowable Cut (AAC). Simulations indicate that an optimal cutting cycle of 25-30 years would be sustainable on the cutting limits currently imposed by FDS. The AAC will be re-evaluated during the mid-term review. The FMU has been zoned into three forest functions: Protection (water catchment, fish conservation, K/MD1/IV & border zone): 18,357 Ha (15.7%), Production: 90,543 Ha (76.8%) and Community: 8,749 Ha (7.5%). The management system shall follow the cutting rules and cutting limits set by the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS). The forest operation shall adopt the Reduced Impact Logging (RIL). The period of harvesting will be that approved in the General Harvesting Plan (GP). The first harvest cycle is 27 years with 27 coupes. The average annual coupe is approximately 3,350 Ha. The Selective Felling System (SLS) is prescribed in the FMP with the objective of selectively harvesting trees that are above the cutting limits specified by FDS while leaving behind a residual stand with sufficient number of trees in the intermediate diameter classes to form the next crop. The maximum period allowed for the completion of harvesting in a coupe is two years. The commencement date of harvesting is from the date of the first endorsement of Operation 5 of the Page 2 of 6
Page 3 of 6
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report includes the study of environmental impact considerations, the conservation of the natural forest, water quality, waste disposal, pesticides and biological agents; and mitigation measures for road construction and repair, tree felling and log skidding by tractors, environmental quality control and non-organic waste disposal, silvicultural management, forest protection/fire prevention, wildlife protection, protection of scenic landscapes/recreational potential, and safety and health of workers. The main focus of the Environmental Monitoring Report (EMR) is on water quality and any damage due to the harvesting operations. The monitoring works for damages due to harvesting operations, as provided for under the Forest Ordinance, will continue for at least a year after the blocks are closed. In the social dimension, health and safety aspects should be monitored. Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) will be established in the FMU and tree growth will be recorded and then re-measured at two year intervals. At the initial stage, ten PSPs are selected based on forest type/land-use (well-stocked versus secondary forest) and present accessibility. More PSPs will be established progressively in order to provide more baseline data for in-depth analysis. The FMU will collaborate with FDS, SFC, SBC and WWF on relevant research projects within the FMU. A Master Plan for Wild Life in Sarawak was approved by the Cabinet as official policy in January 1997. The Master Plan dealt with the immediate issue of stopping over-exploitation by hunting and provisions of more natural habitats in which wildlife continue to live. The principal ordinance relevant to the protection, management and conservation of species of wildlife in Sarawak is the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1990. Additional measures are the responsibility of the FMU, in line with DF Circular No. 6/99 dated 30 April 1999. There are existing trans-boundary collaborations between a) Pulong Tau National Park in Sarawak and Kayan-Mentarang National Park in Indonesia, and b) Batang Ai National Park, Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Sarawak and Betung Kerihun National Park in Indonesia. The FMU shares a common boundary with Pulong Tau National Park, the proposed Batu Buli National Park and with the proposed Batu Iran National Park. The FMU plays a role in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Corridor Project through provision of a wildlife corridor between Sabah to the east, Brunei to the west and Indonesian-Kalimantan to the south via the Mulu National Park and Buda National Park. It is a requirement of forest management certification that areas within the FMU with exceptional, or critical, ecological attributes, ecosystem services and social functions are identified and defined as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas. The HCV assessment determined that the FMU has some HCV attributes. Standard harvesting systems are not permitted on slopes of more than 35º. All rivers that flow year round must have buffer zones (RBZs) the width of which is determined according to NREB specification. The Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) passes through the FMU. That it is underground for the greater part of its length, together with reasonably evenly distributed monthly rainfall that averages annually in excess of 2,200mm, means that the pipeline is not a major fire hazard. There are nineteen settlements located within and adjacent to the FMU with an estimated population of 2,990. They are occur as two main clusters: twelve are situated in Ba Kelalan and six are in Long Page 4 of 6
Semadoh region and there is one in Pa Berunot. The main ethnicity of the communities is Lun Bawang; most of whom are Christian and belonging to the Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) - locally known as Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB). The SFC social assessment (HCV5) clearly shows that the forest area is not fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities. The communities have large areas of wet paddy that provide the staple and most households have their own vegetable gardens and raise poultry, pigs and quite frequently, buffalo. There is also some fish farming. The forest provides limited amounts of wild fruit and vegetables and there is some supplementary hunting. The forest provides some timber for house construction (often cut from logs that have been extracted and then rejected) and there is limited collection of forest products such as rattan and bamboo for making handicrafts mainly for own use. Production of salt from salt springs provides some income for a few individuals at Ba Kelalan. Some areas are also important to their cultural identity, e.g. burial sites and spiritual activities (Bukit Balud and Buaya Tanah). Long Gita, a Penan settlement adjacent to the FMU, also uses the FMU for hunting and the collection of forest produce. The recommendations for the HCV 5 & 6 include the enhancement of the existing Community Relations Committee (CRC), the setting up of an SFM Liaison Committee comprising all stakeholders using CRC as the platform, the demarcation of agreed boundaries for burial sites, salt spring and Buaya Tanah of Pa Brunot. Any demarcated important cultural sites should be clearly marked on the map for reference. The Conflict Resolutions Guidelines for SFM for community consultation is adopted for any conflict resolutions. The FMU Conservation and Community Development (CCD) Committee, Community Representative Committee (CRC) and SFM Liaison Committee serves as platforms for achieving a balance of the economic, environmental and social interests. For the community development project, the help for self-help principle is applied under this FMP. Accordingly, the local community shall participate and be responsible for those functions and activities of development measures that they can provide by their own means. Assistance for the community development project will come from FDS, the FMU holder and any agency (whether government or non-government organisation) who shall provide know-how and/or funds that are not available at the community level. The community development projects could range from focus on the forest areas that were illegally cleared for shifting cultivation; establishment of irrigation and wet rice schemes to produce the staple food as a viable alternative to the slash and burn cultivation activities; fish pond and alternative tree crops such as indigenous fruits e.g. petai, dabai, mata Kuching, etc.; other non-timber forest products (NTFP) e.g. rattan, gaharu, herbs, etc.; spring salt production; handicrafts; and homestay. Forum Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi Borneo (FORMADAT) is a trans-boundary, grassroots initiative by the indigenous peoples of the Highlands of Borneo. FORMADAT comprises the subdistricts of Bario, Ba Kelalan and Long Semadoh in Sarawak; Long Pa Sia in Sabah; and Krayan Page 5 of 6
Induk and South Krayan in Indonesia. FORMADAT committee in Long Semadoh has set up a committee for Long Semadoh Rivers Conservation Project. By December 2016, selected riverbanks in Long Semadoh will be protected from further erosion by the local community through Local Tree and Bamboo Planting on Riverbank Programme and River Adoption and Protection Programme through community gotong-royong initiatives. The FMU has a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy Statement and Safe Practice Guidelines in place. In addition to their work instructions and toolbox talks, the workers are either sent for training courses, or trained within the FMU in the prescribed activities (directional felling, the proper usage of chainsaws and safety aspects, log extraction and log loading) by designated trainers. This is periodically reviewed. There is in-house training of occupational safety and health practices for the workers. A Safety and Health Committee ensures compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, and the relevant legislative regulations and guidelines that are applicable to the respective work places. Page 6 of 6