U.S. Government Supports Sustainable Forest Management in Indonesia 

November 14, 2006

bahasa Indonesia
 

Dale Bosworth, United States Forest Service Chief, Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Boen Muchtar Purnama, Secretary General of the Ministry of Forestry, signed a letter of intent regarding cooperation in sustainable forest management. The letter was signed November 13 at the Ministry of Forestry in Jakarta .

The letter of intent reflects an ongoing relationship between the two agencies, which included previous agreements in 1992 and 1998. The agencies plan to enter into cooperative activities to promote the protection, conservation and sustainable use of forest resources to strengthen the capacity for sustainable forestry management within Indonesia .

At the signing, Bosworth said, “ Indonesia is a critical partner for the United States . Indonesia is a crucial member of the international forestry community because it has some of the most extensive and valuable tropical forests in the world.” Bosworth continued, “The emergence of democracy in Indonesia has given us new opportunities for working together. We hope to broaden and deepen our partnership, including working together to combat illegal logging.”

Past cooperation between the agencies included training more than 50 Indonesian forestry personnel in fire control, detection and response. Other training activities focused on reduced-impact logging, a method that minimizes environmental impact from timber harvesting. Lessons learned in Indonesia resulted in changes to fire control techniques now used in the United States .

Future activities may include developing field capacity to respond to illegal logging, protect biodiversity and manage watersheds that protect soil and water resources. These cooperative efforts will emphasize mutual information sharing for the enrichment of both countries.

The United States and Indonesia are also working to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding on combating illegal logging and associated trade that would further enhance bilateral cooperation on these important issues.

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