Indonesia: Ecolabel Institute facilitates rainforest destruction

Indonesian Ecolabel Institute facilitates rainforest destruction by
issuing “sustainable forest management certificates” to companies that
convert natural and peatlands into industrial timber estates, allege
national environmental groups. “The government has several criteria
for timber estate development that stipulate they must be on barren
land or land without forest cover,” the groups said in a statement.
“In reality, many timber estates have been established on logged-over
areas in productive forests and even in virgin forests.”

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0210-telepak_indonesia.html

The groups cite a recent concession concession granted to PT Selaras
Inti Semesta, a subsidiary of the Medco Group, in Papua as an example.
Analysis of the concession shows that 44 percent of the
259,000-hectare concession is “good natural forest”. “Establishing
industrial timber estates on natural forest and peat ecosystems means
ignoring the risks of deforestation, forest fires, social conflicts
and climate change,” said Wirendro.

“Such certification must be halted until there is a guarantee that industrial timber estates will not be allocated on productive natural forest and peat ecosystems.” “Industrial Timber Estate certification like the ones in Sumatera are a misleading eco-label,” said Husnaeni Nugroho, Telapak forest
campaigner. “LEI must stop this scheme or the forests in Papua will
suffer from great risks associated with forest conversion.”

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0210-telepak_indonesia.html