FOUR Sabah forest reserves with high conservation value have been reclassified to further protect its biodiversity and wildlife.
The State Assembly passed the amendments to the Forests (Constitution of Forest Reserves and Amendment) Enactment 1984 to excise, constitute, classify and reclassify the forest reserves from Class II to Class I.
Earlier, when proposing the bill, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Ellron Angin said the 33,969 hectares of Malua Forest Reserve Class II (Commercial) have been reclassified as Protection Forest Reserve Class I and to be known as Malua Forest Reserve Class I (Protected) which will serve as an important Gene Bank, Malua Bio-Bank project and habitat for the Orang Utan.
The 6,665 hectares of Gunung Rara Forest Reserve Class II was reclassified as Protection Forest Reserve Class I and to be known as Mount Magdalena Forest Reserve Class I (Extension).
The other two are the 3,265 hectares of Gunung Rara Forest Reserves Class II and 19,870 hectares of Kalabakan Forest Reserve Class II, that have been reclassified as Protection Forest Reserve Class I and to be known as Tambulanan Forest Reserve Class I and Sungai Tiagau Reserve Class I, respectively. These areas are of high conservation values and act a buffer for the Maliau Basin.
Ellron said that the reclassification aims to protect and conserve the forests, besides maintaining it as a buffer zone to protect the environment and wildlife, which are becoming rarer, threatened and endangered.
“This is also to create a wildlife corridor to link the forest reserves in Danum Valley, Maliau and Imbak Canyon,” he said.
The bill also saw the 720 hectares of Mount Wullerdorf Forest Reserve Class I and 228 hectares of Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve Class I being excised for the purpose of socio-economic development.
Both forest reserves, which are located in Kunak, are degraded and have been encroached.
Meanwhile, the 6,429 hectares of Menumbok forest was reconstituted as Mangrove Forest Reserve Class V and to be known as Menumbok Forest Reserve Class V (Extension II).
“This area is suitable for research, education, flora and fauna conservation and protection of marine life,” Ellron said.
Following the amendments made to the Enactment, the Sabah Government now has a total of 3,614,730.55 hectares of forest reserves, which is an addition of 5,481 hectare.
“Our forest reserves cover at least 48.28 per cent of the state, therefore Sabah’s forest coverage will continue to increase to 52 per cent, which exceeds the National Forestry Policy that targets 48 per cent from the overall size of the state,” said Ellron.
Before the reclassification of forest reserves were made, Sabah owned 773,705.74 hectares of Forest Reserve Class I (Protection), which was an increase of 55.78 per cent or 431,555.74 hectare compared to 342,150 hectares about a decade ago.
“This shows that the state government is commited to conservation work and protecting Sabah’s forests,” he said.
Ellron added that since 2009, a total of 443,854 hectares of Forest Reserves have been certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), while 424,520 hectares are still pending approval.
“This is proof that our forest management is recognised globally, for example the Deramakot Forest Reserve which is the first tropical rainforest that has been certified under the FSC and has become a model for forest management since 1997,” he said.