WELCOME TO TIMIMBANG-BOTITIAN SFMP WEBSITE!
Background
Timimbang FR was gazetted as a Class II forest reserve in 1984 (LAB.2 of 1984), with an area of 11,465 ha. Before it was gazetted as forest reserve, the whole area was under state land. Due to its former land status, the opening timber stock of Timimbang FR was not know as there was no forest inventory carried out since 1970. There are other forest reserves that are located nearby or adjacent to Timimbang FR; namely Bonggaya FR on 01.08.1957 and 15.07.1958 vide gazette notification 430/57 and 342/58 respectively. On 14.03.1984 again vide gazetted notification 4/1984 Bonggaya FR was regazetted and classified as Class II Forest Reserve (Commercial). Later on 24.04.1992 vide gazette notification 2/1992 by substitution under the heading Commercial Forest Reserve, part of an area with 1929 hectares from Bonggaya FR was reclassified as Botitian FR Class I. Timimbang Forest Reserve and Botitian Forest Reserve are both classifieds class I Protection Forest, covering total area of 11,465 hectares and 1,929 hectares respectively. The Timimbang-Botitian Forest Reserve (TBSFM) area is located between latitude 050 58’ 44.9” - 060 09’ 32.3” North and longtitude 1170 21’ 14.9” East. Both Botitian FR and Timimbang FR are located approximately 45 km of Beluran Township and 110 km north of Telupid Township by road. The said areas are accessible from Telupid and Sandakan via the Telupid-Sandakan highway, and the Sapi-Nangoh-Pitas road.
The Timimbang-Botitian Forest Management Unit (FMU) covering 13,610 ha, comprises a cluster of 3 forest reserves located in northeastern portion of Sabah. The management of all these reserves comes directly under the jurisdiction of Beluran Forestry District of the Sabah Forestry Department. The vegetation of the area is broadly classified as logged-over mixed dipterocarp forest. It was logged between the periods 1987 to 2007. Today the forest of Timimbang-Botitian is a mosaic of regenerating forests, relatively intact on the steeper slopes but characterized by pioneer vegetation on the flatter areas where logging was more intense. Nevertheless, the forest still represents an important repository of native biodiversity that is worth protecting. Under a protective management strategy, it can be expected to recover and provide suitable habitat for certain wildlife communities.
For these reasons, the Sabah Government, through the Sabah Forestry Department, initiated yet another bold move to address further degradation of Timimbang FR by phasing out all short term licences by December 2007. Subsequently, the Director of the Sabah Forestry Department, vide his letter JPHTN/PP 100-0/1/33(1) dated 19th June 2006, had directed the formation of a Management Committee to prepare a project proposal to put Timimbang and Botitian FR under Sustainable Forest Management. The project proposal was prepared and submitted to the State Government to seek funding for the restoration program. The total funding required for the first phase of the restoration program (2006-2010) was RM10.45 million. However only RM 5 million was approved under this phase by The Natural Resources Secretary vide JKM.PHB 700-3/8/ (133) dated 30th July 2007. The source of funding is from the Community Forestry Project Trust Fund, or also known as the “PPM” funding.
The Timimbang-Botitian SFM Project has been awarded its first “ Well Managed Forest Certification” from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) on the 18th May 2015 and vaild to 17th May 2020 under the registration certificate code :SCS-FM/COC-005061.
Website last updated on 26 Nov. 2020