Hamden waters a belian sapling he has just planted during the programme while others look on.
BINTULU: Sarawak Forest Department aims to plant 35 million trees or seven million trees a year within the next five years (2021-2025) under its Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) programme.
Its director Datu Hamden Mohammad said the state government was optimistic that the department would be able to carry it out successfully given the success rate of the programme so far.
The programme would include enriching tree planting with indigenous and high value species at degraded forest areas in Permanent Forest Reserves.
“Based on records, 10,452,607 trees of 50 different species have been planted on 9,732.14ha of land throughout Sarawak by way of several programmes (tree planting campaigns) including trees planted in forest plantations, until Dec 10 this year,” he said during a FLR programme jointly organised by Bintulu Forest Department and State Forest Department Social and Recreational Club (Foressa) at Labang Forest Reserve near here yesterday.
To strengthen the implementation of this restoration programme, he said the department also issued a comprehensive guideline through a circular in January 2019.
“With these guidelines, every logging company must carry out restoration activities in their respective licensed areas,” he added.
Since the launch of FLR programme last year, Hamden said various parties had come forward to respond to the call, among them Foressa Club, Kelab Kembara Anak Sarawak, Japan Malaysian Association and local communities.
He said the FLR programme was also in line with the 100 million tree planting campaign conducted by the federal Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Hamden hoped the programme here which was participated by over 200 Foressa Bintulu members could be a starting point in creating a new image for the department and Foressa.
Deputy director (Forest Conservation and Development) Jack Liam, Foressa president who is also Bintulu Forest Dept officer Michael Ngelai and Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad group chief executive officer
Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah were among those present at the function.
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