PUBLIC SUMMARY OF 

MELATAI-PARA FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
FOR FOREST TIMBER LICENCE NO. T/3343
COVERING PART OF

BALEH PROTECTED FOREST UNDER 

MELATAI-PARA FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT

~ Melatai-Para Forest Management Plan (FMP) was approved by Forest Department Sarawak on 10th February 2017.

~ This FMP has been updated in December 2018 to cover part of Forest Timber Licence No. T/3343 after the exclusion of the salvage logging area due to Baleh HEP as required by Forest Department Sarawak in October 2018.

~ The area covered by this FMP is now referred to as the revised Melatai-Para Forest Management Unit.

1.  Approval Of The Forest Management Plan (FMP)

 

2. General Management Objectives

     ~ Optimising the production of timber taking into account the restrictions and needs arising from conservation and socio-economic factors

     ~ Regulation of harvest on a sustained yield basis

     ~ Consultaion among relevant stakeholders involved in or affected by forest operations at all levels of management

     ~ Regeneration of the forest and improvement of the stocking of commercial species using suitable silvicultural methods

     ~ The application of the precautionary principle when the impacts of an operational matter are unknown or potentially negative

3. Background of the Forest Management Unit (FMU)

     ~ Located at upper reaches of Batang Baleh

     ~ Covers western half of T/3343 original licensed area

     ~ Entirely inside HoB Project Area

     ~ Within Baleh Protected Forest, Gazette notification No. 584

     ~ Wthin catchment area of Baleh HEP Project

     ~ Salvage logging area due to Baleh HEP flood zone excluded gross area of 49,524 ha.

     ~ Access by way of logging road from Nanga Gaat (possible use of Baleh Dam reservoir in future)

     ~ FMU is surrounded by Timber Licence Nos. T/3132, T/3401, T/3148, T/3476 on the north side and west side. It is adjacent to Indonesia (Kalimantan) on the south side and the proposed Baleh National Park on the East side

     ~ Ecological environment

             – 78% terrain class III, 22% terrain class IV

             – Dominated by hill MDF with 97% still under forest cover and 3% of open space

             – Rich biodiversity

             – 498 tree species

             – 81 fauna species

     ~ Socio cultural environment

             – No local communities within FMU

             – Nearest settlement is Long Singut but about 23 km away from edge of FMU

   

Map Showing Location of FMU

Access Route to the FMU

Licences surrounding Melatai-Para FMU

4. Key Parameters of FMP

          ~ Initially to cover period from 2017 to 2032 (15 years)

          ~ Based on 13-chapter format as laid out by Forest Department Sarawak

          ~ Fulfills Principle 7 of the MC&I(Natural Forest)2012 of MTCS

          ~ Review & revision at the end of every 5th year of plan implementation

          ~ Cutting cycle of 25 years

          ~ Cutting limits based on 50 cm. DBH for Dips and 45 cm DBH for non-Dips

          ~ Harvesting period of 15 years to facilitate AAC of 100,000 m3.

          ~ Ground-based harvesting using tractors and modified excavator

          ~ Suspension of operation for remaining 10 years of cutting cycle

5. Breakdown Of Forest Stand Classes

Forest stand map 

 

6. Forest Zoning

Forest Zoning Map

 

7. Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) & Monthly Production Limit (MPL)

         ~ Solid Hartabina needs to produce 90,000-100,000 m3 per year to sustain an economically viable operation in this remote FMU in view of high operating and transport costs.

         ~ Harvesting period of 15 years adopted giving AAC of 98,650 m3 and MPL of 8,221 m3.

8. General Harvesting Plan (GP)

 

15-coupe layout for harvesting from 2017 to 2032

General Harvesting Plan – Map A

9. Wildlife Management (Flora and Fauna)

 

Wildlife assessment survey carried out concurrently with assessment of High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) in FMU

a) Fauna Species Recorded

b) Flora Species Recorded

* Endangered, rare and threatened

 

10. Implementation of control measures
for wildlife management

 

     ~ Demarcation and protection of:

          – 1 km buffer zone adjacent to proposed Baleh NP

          – Riparian buffer zone along waterways as highlighted in EIA

          – Conservation areas e.g. saltlicks

     ~ Identification and marking of trees for protection (done during pre-harvesting stage)

     ~ Control of hunting by workers, outsiders and local people

     ~ Control of access into FMU

     ~ Conduct regular patrolling

11. Identification of protection areas with HCV attributes

 

 Field assessment of HCV (based on WWF Toolkit) undertaken by SFC

12. Management & Monitoring of Protection Areas

(a) Buffer zones adjacent to proposed Baleh Nation Park and Malaysia-Indonesia International Boundary (HCV 1 & 2 attributes)

     ~ 1 km. wide buffer is marked on GP, DP/Road Plan and demarcated on ground.

     ~ No logging inside the buffer

     ~ If there is a need to construct access road through buffer, approval has to be obtained            from SFC.

     ~ Ground patrolling once every 6 months where there is harvesting of coupes adjacent to the  buffer zone. Otherwise aerial reconnaissance once a year with the use of helicopters or GIS technology with drone applications may be an option for the inaccessible areas.

 

(b) Riparian or streambank buffer (HCV 2, 3 & 4 attributes)

     ~ Buffer width (based on EIA Report) is marked on DP/Road Plan and demarcated on ground.

     ~ No logging within the buffer.

     ~ Trees for harvesting are to be felled away from the buffer.

     ~ Ground patrolling once every 3 months for coupes where harvesting is in progress.

 

 

(c) Terrain IV areas (HCV 3 & 4 attributes)

     ~ Terrain IV areas marked in GP and updated in DP/Road Plan.

     ~ Demarcated on ground with refinements based on actual ground conditions.

     ~ Ground patrolling once every 6 months where there is harvesting of coupes containing Terrain IV. Otherwise aerial reconnaissance once a year with the use of helicopters or GIS technology with drone applications may be an option for the inaccessible areas.

 

(d) Critical temporal use sites (HCV 1.4 attribute)

     ~ Once such sites are discovered, they will be surveyed and demarcated on the ground.

     ~ Updating is done to the GP, DP/Road Plan and PEC Map to record these sites.

     ~ Buffer zone of 100 metres will be established surrounding the edge of the sites and demarcated on the ground.

     ~ No logging is permitted within the buffer zone.

     ~ Ground patrolling to be carried out once every six months.

 

 

(e) Water catchment for Berkakap Camp (HCV 5 attribute)

     ~ Catchment location is indicated in the GP and the DP/Road Plan & PEC Map of affected coupe.

     ~ Boundary of the catchment is demarcated on the ground.

     ~ No logging is allowed inside the catchment.

     ~ Ground patrolling to be carried out once every six months.

13. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

~ EIA of timber harvesting carried out by Ecosol Consultancy

~ Recommended mitigation measures and Best Management Practices (BMP) are:

     – Control of soil erosion and sediment pollution

     – Preservation of water quality

     – Minimize disturbance to channel drainage

     – Protection of ecological resources

     – Ensuring occupational safety and health for workers

Width Of Riparian Buffer For Waterways In The FMU (Based On EIA Report)

14. Mitigation Measures

     ~ During road repair, grading should not be excessive. The excess spoil material is to be properly managed and not pushed into the natural waterways and riparian buffer zones.

     ~ Retention of riparian buffer zone

     ~ Adoption of reduced impact logging techniques

     ~ Any blockages in the streams caused by vegetative debris, rejected logs, off-cuts and other wood debris has to be cleared.

     ~ Excess soil is not to be dumped into the waterways during road construction and road repairs

     ~ All vegetative waste, rejected logs, off-cuts and other wood debris generated from the felling, trimming and debarking operations should not be allowed to enter the waterways. If any debris gets into the waterways accidentally, they should be removed as soon as possible.

     ~ At the workshop and fuel depot, proper facilities such as oil sump and concrete pad with raised edges shall be provided to prevent oil leakage and soil contamination

     ~ Vehicles and machinery used must be well maintained for optimum performance and to avoid mechanical failure.

     ~ The base camp and the transit camps are to be kept tidy and hygienic at all times.

15. Pre-harvesting Activities

      ~ Repair/Upgrading of existing roads & drainage structures

      ~ Construction of new roads and drainage structures

      ~ Identify, confirm and prepare landing locations

      ~ Demarcation of coupe and block boundaries

      ~ Marking of buffer zone, protection/conservation areas

      ~ Alignment, marking and mapping of skid trails

      ~ Tree selection for harvesting, enumeration and recording

      ~ Identification and tagging/flagging of trees for protection

      ~ Preparation of Reduced Impact Logging Plan (RILP)

16. RILP

     ~ RILP workmap on scale of 1:5,000 to show all the marked and surveyed skid trails

     ~ Operational Inventory Summary Sheet covering each skid trail of the individual block

     ~ Summary of skid trail network and trees to be harvested for individual block

     ~ Summary of the trees for protection within individual block

     ~ Summary of the Coupe Operational Inventory Analysis, covering all the blocks for which all the four documents listed above are complete

     ~ Operational inventory summary sheet covering the Potential Crop Trees allowed to be felled

17. Harvesting Operation

~ Directional tree felling to minimize damage to felled tree & surrounding stand, allow easy skidding, avoid felling into waterways & buffer zones

~ Log extraction using ground-based harvesting system with RIL techniques

             – Tractor stays on skid trail

            – Log winched from stump to skid trail

            – Modified excavators used in combination with tractors for difficult terrain areas

~ Royalty marking done at Berkakap Camp

~ After royalty marking, logs transported to CDC at Nanga Gaat

18. Post Harvesting Activities

~ Inspection of harvested blocks to determine mitigation & rehabilitation measures to be carried out

             – Construction of cross-drains across skid trails

            – Construction of earth bunds on steep sections of trails

            – Ripping of landings at right angles to drainage direction

            – Removal of fuel drums, oil filters and other rubbish from landings

            – Removal of logging debris from waterways

            – Drainage of stagnant ponds

           – Decommissioning of non-essential roads

~ Assessment of residual timber stocking to evaluate need for silvicultural treatment of logged-over forest

19. Silviculture Management

     ~ During road repair, grading should not be excessive. The excess spoil material is to be properly managed and not pushed into the natural waterways and riparian buffer zones.

     ~ Retention of riparian buffer zone

     ~ Adoption of reduced impact logging techniques

     ~ Any blockages in the streams caused by vegetative debris, rejected logs, off-cuts and other wood debris has to be cleared.

     ~ Excess soil is not to be dumped into the waterways during road construction and road repairs

     ~ All vegetative waste, rejected logs, off-cuts and other wood debris generated from the felling, trimming and debarking operations should not be allowed to enter the waterways. If any debris gets into the waterways accidentally, they should be removed as soon as possible.

     ~ At the workshop and fuel depot, proper facilities such as oil sump and concrete pad with raised edges shall be provided to prevent oil leakage and soil contamination

     ~ Vehicles and machinery used must be well maintained for optimum performance and to avoid mechanical failure.

     ~ The base camp and the transit camps are to be kept tidy and hygienic at all times.

20. Enrichment Planting

~ Enrichment planting will be carried out along selected skid trails where (a) the ground surface is not compacted and has gentle gradients and (b) there is easy accessibility to bring in planting materials and to carry out planting, monitoring and maintenance works.

     ~ The main features of enrichment planting are as follows:

           a) Species to plant – Local indigenous species such as Kelampayan, Benuang, Sawih or other local species as approved by Forest Department Sarawak.

            b) Planting method – Line planting along the middle of the skid trail.

            c) Planting material – Seedlings and wildings prepared at the nursery.

            d) Spacing between trees – 3 metres along the planting line.

21. Rehabilitation of Open/Highly Degraded Area

     ~ Rehabilitation mainly covers log landings and the exposed slopes along the roadsides.

     ~ For the log landings, only the ones that are accessible by vehicles and are not compacted ground will be rehabilitated.

     ~ Rehabilitation is carried out by doing line planting with indigenous species such as Kelampayan, Sawih or other local species as approved by Forest Department Sarawak. Seedlings and wildings used for the planting will be obtained from the FMU.

     ~ For steep exposed slopes along the roadsides where line planting is not possible, the logging operator will do landscape restoration by planting such areas with fast growing cover crops such as Mucuna Bracteata species and local forest creepers.

22. Scheduling of Silvicultural Treatment

     ~ Silvicultural treatment in the harvested coupe shall commence after harvesting has been completed as certified by the Forest Manager of the FMU and SFC has issued the coupe clearance certificate.

     ~ The target for completing the silvicultural treatment is within 12 months after the completion of the harvesting operation.

     ~ Weeding, manuring, census and monitoring will be carried out 2-3 times a year for at least a 2-year period after the completion of planting.

     ~ Monitoring of enrichment planting includes recording survival rate, tree condition, growth, pest and disease problem and the need for replacement.

     ~ For the steep exposed slopes along the roadsides where line planting is not possible, the logging operator will proceed with the landscape restoration using cover crops immediately after the completion of the road construction.

23. Forest Research

~ Focus on growth & mortality rates of logged-over forest in FMU

~ 24 PSPs established

~ Assessment of PSPs cover stem number, basal area, tree diversity, stand quality, stocking and saplings

~ Re-assessment to be carried out once every 3 to 5 years

25. Community Development

~ No permanent local settlements within or near FMU

~ Nearest settlement is Long Singut, about 23 km away from edge of FMU

~ Timber harvesting has no socio-economic impact on local communities in view of remote location of FMU

~ Community Representative Committee (CRC) may be set up in future for possible interaction with local communities if any

26. Establishment Of SFM Liaison Committee

~ SFM Liaison Committee to comprise representatives from the stakeholders of Melatai-Para FMU i.e. relevant Government Agencies, FMU owner and local communities (if any)

~ The roles of the SFM Liaison Committee are:

     – It provides a platform for general stakeholder consultation

     – To propose, discuss and implement community development projects for the FMU.

     – To table proposal, discuss findings, prepare recommendation to  relevant department and implement decision pertaining to issues regarding the FMU.

     – Request technical input and support from relevant Departments (FDS/SFC, District office, Medical and health, Agriculture, Land and Survey, etc.)

27. Occupational Safety & Health

~ DOSH “Guidelines on occupational safety and health in logging operations” referred to in drawing up safe practice procedures

~ Rules for health cover hygiene for:

            – Berkakap Camp and Nanga Gaat log pond

            – Temporary field camp (hut) in the logging blocks

~ Safe practice procedures cover:

            – Activities at Berkakap Camp, workshop, fuel depots, temporary field camps

           – Activities involving felling operation, cross-cutting operation,tractor skidding, trimming & measurement of logs,                              loading & unloading operation, trucking operation, road construction and maintenance

~ Worker safety and health officer appointed to take charge of safety and health programmes

~ Establishment of a safety, health and employer/employee relations committee comprising representatives from the Management Office of Solid Hartabina and the workers

~ Committee to meet at least once every 3 months with minutes of meeting properly documented

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