Bukit Tigapuluh forest landscape encompasses an area of approximately 508,000 hectares. The initiative to restore and preserve it was developed with input from a number of stakeholders, including WWF, Greenpeace and NGO members of APP’s Solutions Working Group. It will have a significant impact on the landscapes both in and around the plantation concessions in APP’s supply chain.
The commitment is well above APP's legal requirements and is approximately equal to the total area of plantation from which the company sourced pulp fibre in 2013. Bukit Tigapuluh is the first of a number of restoration programs.
Larry Jackson, chief executive of Australia's Paper Force, remarked, “Australians are very environmentally conscious and I hope the announcement will encourage local suppliers and consumers that our products are truly sustainable. I applaud our affiliate’s latest announcement, which will set a new standard in protection of the world’s valuable rainforests and ensure the future protection of endangered species.”
APP will first work with an NGO coalition to preserve the natural forest in the 30 Hills landscape (Bukit Tigapuluh) in Jambi, Sumatra – a vital habitat for tiger, elephant and orang-utan populations. This will include increased protection of the corridor road from illegal activities, work on protecting the threatened elephant herd in the Tebo Multi Agro concession, and assessment of the viability of creating an animal corridor in the WKS concession which would connect important forest habitat blocks.
APP is currently in consultation with WWF and other stakeholders, to develop plans for identified priority landscapes in which APP and its suppliers have commercial forestry-based operations, which will then be implemented by the company in close collaboration with other relevant players in the landscape, while observing the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
It has been a year since APP launched its Forest Conservation Policy (FCP), which called for an immediate and permanent cessation of natural forest clearance across its supply chain. Since then, the company has been working closely with stakeholders to implement the policy, with support from The Forest Trust, and has been carrying out consultation on how to prioritise restoration of important areas.
Aida Greenbury, APP’s managing director of sustainability, said: “Land cannot be conserved or restored in isolation, the sustainability of the entire landscape must be taken into account and many stakeholders must be involved. We hope that by working with Indonesian and international stakeholders, as well as organisations such as WWF, The Forest Trust and Ekologika, our efforts will be much more effective.
“We believe that by assessing entire landscapes and creating clear tailor made objectives and strategies, the maximum possible level of conservation will be achieved, not just for natural forest in our concessions, but for areas around them as well.”
The focus for each landscape is:
1. Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi – provide wildlife corridors and additional buffer areas and restrict access to enhance the function of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, while involving the local community.
2. Senepis, Riau – support conservation of the Sumatran tiger and peat swamp forest.
3. Giam Siak Kecil, Riau – secure, protect and restore the core natural forest within the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve to provide habitat for many endangered species including Sumatran tiger and Sumatran elephants. Also, ensure sustainable conservation of peat swamp forest, while supporting the livelihood of the local communities
4. Kampar Peninsula, Riau – support large landscape protection of peat swamp forest using a multi-stakeholder approach that involves other concession holders.
5. Kerumutan, Riau – support expansion and connectivity of protected forest areas
6. Muba Berbak Sembilang, Jambi and South Sumatra – protect the existing natural forest and assess the possibility of expanding the current protected forest, i.e. by restoring key areas to natural ecosystems and focussing on the protection of Sumatran Tiger and other key species. Additional support will be provided to the national parks.
7. OKI, South Sumatra – create a wildlife corridor to expand the habitat of Sumatran elephants.
8. Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan – maintain the integrity of orang-utan habitat and also assess the possibility of expanding the existing mangrove forest to support the conservation of swamp crocodiles.
9. Kutai, East Kalimantan – support the existing national park, providing buffer and corridor for orang-utan habitat.
