Conservation Efforts within PFEs

In the past, conservation efforts of the department were concentrated in Totally Protected Areas (TPAs).  Since constitution and management of TPAs are under the purview of Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Forest Department will focus its conservation works within the permanent forests.

Baleh Connectivity Project for wildlife - Collaboration with Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and WWF-Malaysia (Status Quo)

The Baleh watershed is an area of priority for conservation. The Baleh dam is already approved by the State Government, with construction to be carried out soon. The dam will eventually inundate parts of the forests, and this will affect areas that have been identified as important connectivity for wildlife.

WWF-Malaysia works with Forest Department Sarawak, Sarawak Energy Berhad and UNIMAS to promote a more integrated watershed management approach in the Baleh watershed in order to improve environmental sustainability.  This project for identifying and implementing wildlife connectivity in the Baleh watershed is proposed as part of the efforts for integrated watershed management to ensure that environmental sustainability for wildlife persistence forms part of the management of the watershed.

The project will also develop a long term monitoring plan to be taken up by potentially Forest Department Sarawak (Heart of Borneo), Universities and/or timber companies.

High Conservation Value Area within PFEs

In view of Forest Management Certification, High Conservation Value (HCV) is a requirement under principle 9 of Malaysia Criteria and Indicator (MC & I) and all Forest Management Units (FMUs) are required to assess, demarcate, monitor and manage HCV within their respective areas.

High Conservation Value Forests are those areas of forest that need to be appropriately managed in order to maintain or enhance the identified High Conservation Values. A High Conservation Value Forest may be a small part of a larger forest, for example a riparian zone protecting a stream that is the sole supply of drinking water to a community or a small patch of a rare ecosystem. In other cases, the High Conservation Value Forest may be the whole of a forest management unit, for example when the forest contains several threatened or endangered species that range throughout the forest. Any forest type – boreal, temperate or tropical, natural or plantation can potentially be a High Conservation Value Forest, because High Conservation Value Forest designation relies solely on the presence of one or more High Conservation Value (The High Conservation Value Forest Toolkit Tim Edition 1 December 2003 by Steve Jennings, Ruth Nussbaum, Neil Judd and Tom Evans)

The department will work closely with all FMUs in assessing their HCVs and will help to map out the HCVs in Sarawak’s FMUs.  This effort is part of the wildlife connectivity network for the state especially in areas outside TPAs.

Study on proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) within PFEs throughout Sarawak. 

Conservation of this iconic monkey species as one of the main justifications for sustainable management of forests that falls under the category of PFEs

 The species is now critically endangered, totally protected by law and is also listed under the IUCN Red List, as well as protected under CITES. Therefore, under the Nature Conservation Trust Fund project, the department has decided to include conservation of this iconic monkey species as one of its main justifications for sustainable management of Sarawak’s forests that falls under the category of PFEs

Efforts to study, with all its related activities and programs, such as distribution survey and mapping, determining its population estimate and structure, its feeding ecology within PFEs, planning for Education and Awareness Program among stakeholders in the vicinity of study sites, and finally, , the production of a Management Plan for the species.

Water Catchment within PFEs (Status quo)

Most water catchment areas in Sarawak are located within PFs.  Forest Department will help to monitor closely activities conducted surrounding the designated water catchment areas to ensure any activities carried out would not mpacted the water quality in the area.