15-year plan to transform Sabah's forest plantations

 By Olivia Miwil - March 25, 2022 @ 4:45pm

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor planting a tree at the launch of state-level International Forest Day at the Sulaman Lake forest reserve. - Pic courtesy of Sabah Chief Minister department.

TUARAN: Sabah will be using the Forest Plantation Development Action Plan as a guide in transforming forest plantations in the state.

State Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the plan, drafted by the Sabah Forestry Department, would be used for the next 15 years.

"This is a strategic and decisive action to transform our forest plantations towards achieving sustainable land use to strengthen timber crops in Sabah.

"This action plan provides guidance in the development of forest plantations in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management, as outlined in the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan (2021-2025) and the Sabah Forest Policy 2018," he said when officiating the state-level International Day of Forests 2022 at Sulaman Lake Forest Reserve here.

Hajiji, who is also Sulaman assemblyman, said he also hoped that by 2035, the target of 400,000 hectares of forest plantations and production capacity of at least 6 million cubic metres per year will be achieved.

He added a total of 23,850 hectares has been assigned to 18 Sustainable Forest Management Licence Agreements (SFMLAs) this year.

"To achieve this target, it requires a strong commitment from existing stakeholders and new investments.

"Therefore, I urge all SFMLA licensees to remain committed and work hard in achieving the targets for their respective areas, "he said.

Also present was the Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Fisheries minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Sabah Forestry Department Chief Forest Conservator Datuk Frederick Kugan.

During the event, schoolchildren and the local community took part in planting 200 trees.

Sulaman Lake with an area of 2,555 hectares was gazetted in 1935.