Forest Certification in Developing and Transitioning ... - UTas ePrints

forest certification in malaysia
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Environmental
Certification has led to greater planning and monitoring of the environment. This
assertion can be deduced from reviews of certification audits of forest concessions
and responding comments from state forestry departments. Taking the case of the
certification audit for the state of Trengganu, several activities were conducted taking
environmental concerns into consideration (Terengganu State Forestry Department
2002). Although various forest plans were prepared, such reports had to be redrafted
in response to certification audits to incorporate environmental and social concerns.
For instance, the Forest Management Plans (FMP) were prepared following a new
format whereby information related to the environment, community participation
and social issues were considered as well. Mother trees and threatened or endangered
trees were marked in areas to be felled. The requirement is that four mother trees be
marked for every hectare of felling area. The 1:50,000 resource map is updated with
markings of all illegal logging areas if such activity does in fact occur in or outside
active logging licenses from information recorded in the Forest Offence Record Book.
Although previously buffer zones were reserved for primary rivers with free flowing
water, the State Forestry Department is now willing to include buffer zones for
seasonal rivers as well. To minimize environmental damage during road construction
due to bulldozers, excavators are now being used as a replacement in cutting earthworks
on sloping areas.
Further, state forestry departments have committed themselves to revise the
License Closing Report to incorporate information related to environmental monitoring
including information on area lost or destroyed after logging, the number and
length of secondary/skid trails, and area of log yards.
conclusion
Summary
Forest certification emerges from several initiatives including from direct initiatives
of the states’ forestry departments as trustees of PFEs, bilateral projects for
sustainable forest management between the state forestry departments with
international bodies, and direct interest from individual forest concessionaires. The
FSC certification of Deramakot Forest Reserve is a typical bilateral project while the
MTCC certification of forest management units in seven Peninsular Malaysian states
is an illustration of direct support from state governments. The FSC certification of
PITC forest concession is the case of a direct private sector initiative. As it stands
certification is still at the growth stage in the country and there are no indications of
path dependence.
The state governments and forestry departments of the three regions are all committed
to supporting the certification program with a view that the program is voluntary
and market driven. The belief is that the program could serve as a tool towards
achieving SFM and in gaining market access. More and more concessionaires are
yale school of forestry & environmental studies