Message from the Chief Conservator of Forests
Bismillahirahman nirahimGreetings from Sabah Forestry Department and welcome to our website. In line with the aspiration of the new government, we will endeavor to excel in providing up-to-date information pertaining to the state forest management for the people of Sabah and every online users through our website. This is in accordance to our mission, which is to effectively and efficiently plan and implement the management of the State’s forest resources under the principles of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).
The Sabah Forestry Department’s website serves as an information gateway for those who are interested to know more about the department’s programmes, activities and forestry issues in Sabah. As the custodian of the rainforests in Sabah, the department emphasizes on the realization of SFM, which is also our vision. Achieving SFM has been one of the main agenda of the State Forestry Department. The department has been actively involved in efforts to place the State’s forests under SFM from exploitative forestry practices in the past. This is proven by the establishment of model management area of about 55,000 hectares in Deramakot Forest Reserve, and the subsequent adoption of the management system for statewide application in 1997. The Deramakot Forest Reserve is a Class II Commercial Forest Reserve that has been certified as a well-managed forest according to internationally accepted standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). It is the first and longest certified tropical rainforest in the world. As part of strategy, all forest management units in Sabah are required to adopt the Deramakot model and practice reduced-impact logging harvesting techniques in their timber extraction and forest management.
Conservation is an important part of SFM. The State Government policy emphasizes on conservation of its natural ecosystems through protected areas. This is very much in line with the objectives of the Heart of Borneo Initiative, spearheaded by the Sabah Forestry Department. For the terrestrial ecosystems in Sabah, to date, more than 26% of the state’s land area (about 1.9 million hectares) have been gazette as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), and this figure represents the largest network of TPAs in the country. This percentage has far exceeded the IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) target of 10% and even CDB’s (Convention on Biological Diversity) 17% of various types of ecosystems. The State Government has planned to expand the size of its Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) to 30 per cent Sabah’s land mass within the near future.
The journey in achieving good forest management is never easy Despite various challenges, the department will continue to excel in the implementation of SFM for the betterment towards a greener environment and long term benefits for the people of Sabah. The department is also putting much effort in enhancing the administrative tools to achieve our goals, which include legislation, protection of forest resources, forestry research and development, capacity building, recreational and environmental education.
The department’s annual reports are available from the website and can be easily download. These reports showcase to you the annual activities and achievements which reflect the Key Performance Index of the department. Hence, I highly recommend the to you if you wish to know about the Sabah Forestry Department.
Please do not hesitate to contact our webmaster should you have any question, comment or suggestion.
Thank you and happy surfing!
DATUK MASHOR MOHD. JAINI
Chief Conservator of Forests, Sabah