0 New bylaw on forestry proposed

The continuing degradation of forested areas in Bali has forced members of the legislative council to propose a new bylaw on forest rehabilitation and the development of urban forests. Gusti Made Suryana Putra, chairman of the council’s Commission III, told journalists last Monday that the condition of the island’s forested areas was getting worse all the time.

He also slammed the provincial administration for spending the minimum amount of funding on forest rehabilitation programs. In the coming 2013 budget plan, the administration is only allocating Rp 2 billion (US$209,000) for various forestry programs. “Such meager funding will not be adequate to rehabilitate the current damage to our forests,” he said. Forest fires, illegal logging and environmental degradation have all worsened the condition of the island’s forests.

source : bali daily