SABAH FORESTRY DEPARTMENT

POLICY

I. Policy Statement

The SFD is commited to the basic criteria of forest conservation by ensuring that SFD’s activities in Ulu Kalumpang; Mount Wullersdorf; Kalumpang FR and Madai Baturong will bring long term environmental and economic benefits to the state of Sabah.

The specific Policy Statements are as follows:

  1. Sabah Forestry Department is committed to managing the Project Area in accordance with the principles of sustainable and responsible management as prescribed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and in conformity with all existing State forest policies, environmental policies, legislation and regulations.

  2. The SFD will manage the forest reserves under conservation to provide long term source of water for local communities

  3. The SFD is committed to support the effort to combat global warming in the forest reserves through protection of the forest reserves that will continue to improve in forest quality and sequester carbon and produce carbon credits that would otherwise be lost to continual conversion to agriculture especially oil palm.

  4. The SFD shall maintain and enhance the high conservation values (HCV), biodiversity, wilderness, soil, and water resources that are ecologically justified, technically and financially viable within the regulatory framework of the SFD.

  5. The SFD shall incorporate input & support from local, national, and international stakeholders in its efforts to manage the conservation areas

  6. The SFD shall optimize economic returns to the State on a long-term basis by producing carbon credits and other environmental services through conservation activities.

  7. The SFD will strive to protect the project area from illegal activities, such as encroachment, hunting, felling and fires, to enhance the safe, sound and responsible management of the forest for future generations.

  8. Preference in employment and service contracts are given to local/rural communities wherever possible

  9. The SFD shall incorporate procedures for identification and protection of sites with special cultural, ecological, and economic or religious significance to local communities.

II. Management Objectives

The long-term goal for management in this project area is to restore the functioning capacity of the forest for water production, retention and usage. The immediate objectives are to seal off and restore the forest reserves from further encroachments which means the flushing out all illegals, phase by phase, to rehabilitate degraded and encroached areas with indigenous tree species, to provide long-term solutions to the issue of community settlements within the protected area and to maintain the forest through carbon financing and other ecosystem services mechanisms.

III. Forest Management

All forest reserves within the project area will be managed under sound forest management practices in accordance with the FSC Principles and the biological, social and economic principles defined by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), Malaysian Criteria and Indicators (MC&I) and in conformity with the existing State forest policies, environmental policies, legislations and regulations. This project is under the management of the Kunak Forestry District and is supervised by the Ulu Kalumpang Project Operational Committee chaired by the Deputy Director (Development) of the Sabah Forestry Department. The activities in the reserve follow the approved Annual Work Plan (AWP) which mainly concentrates on: Forest Restoration and Forest Protection.

Legal Framework and Management Guidelines:

Laws and regulations on forest legislation are the legal instruments, which are necessary in the implementation of the objectives of a forest policy. Forest legislation reflects the principles of sustainability in order to support implementation of forest policies. Management guidelines, on the other hand, provide advice and promote more extensive applications of forest management practices, in accordance with the following legal framework and management guidelines:

State Forest Policy, 1954 Cultural Heritage (Conservation) Enactment, 1997
Forest Enactment, 1968 Sabah Conservation Strategy, 1992
Forest Rules, 1969 Sabah Biodiversity Enactment, 2000
Environmental Protection Enactment, 2002 Environmental Quality Act, 1985
Environmental Protection Enactment (prescribed Activities), 2005 Malaysian Criteria & Indicators
Parks Enactment, 1984 Forest Stewardship Council Principles
Wildlife Conservation Enactment, 1997 Reduced Impact Logging Guidelines, 1998
Land Ordinance, 1930 Labour Ordinance (Sabah Cap 67)
Water Resources Enactment, 1998