The Plantation Establishment Program entails the establishment, maintenance and protection of commercial tree plantations in accordance with the approved planting plan and work standards. A variety of species are planted, some are managed on a pulp wood regime whereas others are grown for higher value products like saw timber and veneer.
The planting plan and work standards seek to ensure that quality plantations are grown while environmental impact is mitigated through sound operating practices.
The following guiding principles are applied:
- Planted forests are established in areas where the natural forest has been degraded by earlier logging activities or shifting cultivation.
- Each forest management unit is established as a mosaic of ITP and conservation areas. The conservation areas will be undisturbed or rehabilitated natural forest. This will include steep land, swamps, buffer zones along waterways, migration corridors and areas that are representative of various types of forest ecosystems.
- The ITP will be established on State land that is not held by indigenous people under Native Customary Rights (NCR). Development of NCR land will take place only through the voluntary participation in joint plantation ventures.
Cutting edge technology and products in the field of remote sensing, ground and drone survey and information systems are used to verify the location, extent and quality of completed work. These audits also ensure compliance with environmental performance standards.
After establishment, plantations are maintained and protected to ensure maximum value is recovered at harvesting age. The primary risks to plantations are fire, pests and disease outbreaks and man-made disturbances. The key elements in protecting such vast areas are early detection and effective response.
To this end, a network of roads, fire towers and radio coverage allow roaming patrols and inspection teams to access all plantation areas and quickly communicate observations to the district offices. Although the fire risk is small, trained fire crews equipped with the latest fire equipment are on standby during times of drier weather.