Sapulut Forest Development

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Sapulut Forest Development

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Sapulut Forest DevelopmentAdvancing Forestry in FMU 14

Since the awarding of long-term Sustainable Forest Management License Agreements to 10 private

companies in 1997, progress in private sector forestry has been highly variable. While some licensees have faltered along the way, others show promising results and are clearly committed to the long-haul. Sapulut Forest Development Sdn. Bhd. is among those who have endured the growing pains and stand out as a serious player in forestry. Like most license holders, struggling to find their bearings in the beginning, Sapulut’s long-haul journey appears to be on course in the right direction.

Sapulut Forest Development is among some 28 companies under Wong Chik Lim Holdings. At the helm of Sapulut is Norman Wong, the Managing Director. An accountant by training, Norman is new to the forestry scene in Sabah, having taken over the Sapulut portfolio only in April

Function Zone Gross Area (ha) Proportion

Conservation 3,685 4 %

Natural Forest Management 58, 634 61 %

Forest plantation 32,981 35 %

Table 1: Forest zones according to management functions

Natural Forest Management In the current planning period (2004-2013), no logging has been prescribed for the NFM areas. The idea is to allow the forest to regenerate and to build up the commercial growing stock. Current forest restoration activities take the form of vine cutting, the liberation of potential crop trees, and enrichment planting. Since 2005, some 5,300 ha of logged forest have been given liberation treatment, including vine cutting.

Forest PlantationsStrong emphasis has been given to the development of fast-growing forest plantations to ensure that sustainable timber production continues beyond the current planning period. Over the last 4 years, more than 6,000 ha of planted forests

2009. Perhaps that was just what Sapulut needed – a fresh perspective. When asked about his forestry credentials, he quipped about his vast experience in gardening as a hobby. Forest management will certainly be a challenging extension of this hobby. But surrounded with a team of experts to provide advice, Norman seems to be confident and pumped up about the future of Sapulut.

The Management Plan in BriefFMU 14, covering about 95,300 ha in southern Sabah, is located immediately adjacent to the Maliau Basin Conservation Area. It covers a major part of the Sapulut Forest Reserve where logging over the last 35 years has left behind a forest that is poor in commercial stocking. Administratively, the FMU is located within the Tibow District Forest Office. FMU 14 is bisected by the Kalabakan-Sapulut Highway. This highway access is perhaps one of the most advantageous features of the FMU. In the Forest Management Plan for FMU 14, about 61 % of the area is designated for timber production by natural forest management (NFM), while 35 % is intended for short-rotation forest plantations (Table 1). Aside from overheads and capital expenditure, a budget of RM 40 million is set aside for timber stand improvement activities and plantation development. At the onset, management was made complicated by existing licenses within FMU 14. But now, midway into its first management plan period (2004-2013), Sapulut has made much progress in the implementation of its management plan.

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Sabah Forestry Department

Species 2006 2007 2008 2009Cumulative

total

Rubber 94.8 423 181.1 409.3 1108

Batai 1292.7 851.6 1068.9 194.2 3407

Acacia - - 50.2 497.4 548

Laran 92.4 152.3 617.6 42.8 905

Binuang - 127.9 - 6 135

Mixed species 35 35

Total 1479.9 1554.8 1917.8 1149.7 6138

Table 2: Planting progress in FMU 14 by species (ha)

Planted forests in FMU 14: Four-year old batai.

Planted forests in FMU 14: 3-year old binuang.

Sapulut’s sprawling nursery along the Kalabakan-Sapulut Highway.

A Maxis satellite dish at the field office dish ensures telephone and internet communications with the outside world.

The Managing Director of Sapulut Forest Development, Norman Wong, displays handicraft made by communities living in the vicinity of FMU 14.

have been successfully established in FMU 14 (Table 2). Batai accounts for about 55 % of all planted trees, followed by rubber (18 %) and laran (15 %). Recently, Sapulut has shown greater interest in the use of native species, including some dipterocarp species. Trials with dipterocarps and other native species of potential are planned for 2010. It is expected that about 35 % of the area designated for forest plantations will not be planted due to operational constraints, such as steep slopes and riparian reserve requirements. Even with the compartments that have already been worked, some 2,000 ha have been set aside for protection. And whilst some companies resist Reduce Impact Logging (RIL) techniques, Norman proudly declares that Sapulut has adopted RIL even in areas designated for tree plantations. Clearly concerned about the environment, he says “We see it as a solution rather than a problem.”

Local Community ParticipationAlthough no human settlements are found within FMU 14, there are 10 villages located in the vicinity, with a total population of about 1,500. These Murut Tagol communities are engaged mainly in subsistence farming. Apart from providing employment opportunities to local communities, Sapulut Forest is currently exploring other forms of assistance. For instance, recently, Sapulut has encouraged the making of handicrafts by these communities. Impressed with the quality of the handicraft they produced, Norman is convinced that such a village-based industry can potentially be an important source of livelihood, and wants Sapulut to be their chief marketing agent.

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Sapulut Forest Development

Map of Forest management function zones for FMU 14

Proposed Field Operations ComplexIn the pipeline is Sapulut’s new field operations complex. Norman speaks of this project with great enthusiasm. An environmentalist at heart, Norman says the proposed complex has been specially designed to employ environmentally friendly features, such as bio-gas and solar for power generation. Designed by a professional architect, the complex will consist of office space, staff quarters, a rest house, a multipurpose hall, and sports and recreational facilities. If all goes according to schedule, construction will begin sometime in October 2010.

Norman Wong shows off a master plan of Sapulut Forest’s proposed new field operations complex in FMU 14.

Ms. Elne Kulik was Sapulut Forest Development’s first scholarship award recipient. She expects to graduate with a degree in Forestry from Universiti Malaysia Sabah in 2010.

Human ResourceToday Sapulut Forest engages some 150 full-time employees, 90 of which are locals. Of the locals, 35 come from nearby villages. With 15 degree holders and professionals in the organization, Sapulut is evidently committed to the professional management of its forest resources. Getting suitable and skilled personnel in forestry can be difficult. In 2008, Sapulut initiated an education support programme under which 2 scholarships were awarded to students intending to study forestry or other related disciplines.

Exploring New Mangement Regions In The ITP AreasSapulut is evaluating various management region in the ITP zones with the objective of maintaining the forest landscape as much as possible. One of these, is the mosaic planting system, pioneered in FMU 17A (see Maxland report of 2008) but to be upgraded with field RIL procedures. The Forestry Department wholly support such innovation.

Scoping into the futureBeing new to the forestry business, Norman is prepared to explore new ideas. One would think that with such a vast natural resource in his hand, opportunities would abound. At the moment timber production seems to be taking the back seat. Foremost in his mind is providing ecosystem services, such as carbon and biodiversity conservation. It may not put bread on the table in the short term, but he is hoping it would pay off in the long run. And with its strategic location along a major highway, ecotourism potential offers a bright future. How will Sapulut fair ultimately boils down to innovation. The need to be innovative has never been more crucial.

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Magas or scientifically named as Duabanga moluccana Blume is a common pioneer tree species in the

Sonneratiaceae family, normally found in logged over and open areas in Sabah. This is one of the many pioneers or early successional species just like Laran (Anthocephalus chinensis), Trema and the Macaranga species. Magas could be found up to 1,200 metres asl. D. moluccana is a medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 35 m tall, but sometimes reaching 45 m, with a columnar bole up to 100 cm in diameter, not buttressed but slightly fluted at the base. It is a fast growing tree with promising economic prospects for timber plantations. It is particularly suitable for reforestation or restoration of denuded or severely degraded areas. The seedlings are very light demanding (characterized by most pioneer species) and grow only in open sites. In some open areas, magas may form an almost pure stand. However, they are not stable and gradually may be dominated by other spesies such as Syzygium species. Magas usually occurs on the edges of freshwater swamps and floodplains. D. moluccana is locally co-dominant, along streams, on slopes, along logging tracks and in re-growth in former cultivation areas, up to 1,200 m altitude.

D. moluccana is called by different vernacular names in different locations;- Magas (Kadazan, Sabah), Benung Kasung (Bidayuh, Sarawak), Sawi (Iban, Sarawak), Benuang Laki (Kalimantan, Indonesia), Gayawas Hutan (Moluccas), Kalanggo (Sumbawa, Indonesia), Loktob, Arek and bukag (Philippines) (Othman Bojo, 1995).

DistributionDuabanga consists of 2 species (viz: D. grandiflora and D. moluccana) and is distributed from the eastern Himalaya to New Guinea: eastern India, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-china, Thailand and Malesia (except Sumatra and Western Java). D. grandiflora is confined to mainland South-East Asia (south to central P. Malaysia), D. moluccana to the eastern part of the geographical range of the Genus (west to Borneo and the Philippines viz; Borneo, the Philippines, eastern Java, the lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, the Moluccas and New Guines) (Lemmens et al, 1995). D. Moluccana or magas is common in Sabah and Sarawak (Othman Bojo, 1995).

EcologyIn Sabah and Sarawak, Magas is commonly found mainly in mixed evergreen and deciduous forests at 15 – 1,200m asl. They are usually found as scattered individuals on damp clay-rich fertile soils, especially in high light intensity areas such as river-banks, forest edges, logged-over forests, roadsides, abandoned cultivation sites and also on limestone hills. The seeds are readily dispersed by wind (Othman Bojo, 1995).

UsesIn Sabah and Sarawak, its non-durable and soft wood was not commercially sought after, and thus its timber was of little use until recently. Recorded uses by Lemmens et. al, 1995 in other countries; include temporary light construction, floaters for extraction timber logs, fish net floats, dug-out boats, furniture, interior fittings, mouldings, cupboards, matches and match-boxes. It also has good properties for the production of veneer and plywood, being used mainly for outer layers as well as core layers. A decoction of the bark has been used in Indonesia for dyeing matting black. This suitability has recently prompted its increasing usage in Sabah.

Wood PropertiesMagas is a lightweight and comparatively soft wood. The heartwood is white or pale yellow to pale reddish-brown or greyish brown, and not clearly demarcated from the 6-9 cm wide sapwood, which is slightly paler than the heartwood. The density is 270 – 560 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content (MC). The grain is usually shallowly interlocked, sometimes straight, texture coarse but even. The wood air dries rapidly and without serious degrade, but often darkens considerably on drying. Kiln drying may result in slight warping and splitting. In Myanmar, it is recommended to girdle the standing log several months before felling to facilitate drying (Lemmens et. al, 1995). A study conducted by Michael Trockenbrodt et.al (1998) on locally Magas wood samples, revealed a density range from 0.19 – 0.49 g/m3 at 14% MC and 0.26 – 0.35 g/m3 for oven-dry samples.

Magas (Duabanga Moluccana Blume): Is it a potential species for Forest Restoration?

Mr. Mapuin Remegap our long time worker standing beside a 39-year-old magas tree at plot 8Z(I) Gum-Gum Research Station. This particular tree grows to a diameter of 36.4 cm and height of 22 m. The growth is comparatively slow for a pioneer species at this age!

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Magas (Duabanga Moluccana) Blume

PlotsNo. of trees

assessed

Mean Diameter (cm)

[Dia ranges (cm)]

MAIDiameter(cm/yr)

Mean Height (m)

[Ht ranges (m)]

MAIHeight(m/yr)

8(z)I 25 42.6[27.7-65.0]

1.09 20.3[9.2-30.8]

0.52

8(z)II 37 39.4[27.8-75.4]

1.01 23.1[10.8-37.5]

0.59

The wood is easy to saw (it contains no silica), plane, shape, bore, turn and sand, but finishing is difficult because of its softness. It holds nails and screws well and gluing is not a problem. Peeling properties are good, but care should be taken to prevent fungal attack when veneer or plywood is stacked tightly. Drying of veneer presents no problems. The wood is perishable and susceptible to staining and termite attack. The wood of D. moluccana is reported as easy to impregnate, but that of D. grandiflora is sometimes more resistant to treatment with preservatives (Lemmens et. al, 1995).

Propagation and PlantingMagas has a small winged seed and a single fruit contains 7,000 – 8,000 seeds. It starts to flower at the age of 4 years old and ripe fruits can be harvested twice a year and thus it is easy to collect seeds for propagation. As a rule of thumb, it is advisable to select superior mother trees to obtain good quality seeds. Sowing in open seedbeds gives poor results, because seeds are washed away or seedlings are destroyed by rain. In India, the best results are obtained either by mixing seeds with fine sand and sowing on very fine porous soil on raised seedbeds, on powdered charcoal or on fine sand in covered boxes. Water should be applied by spraying. Seeds will germinate within 20 days. The seedlings are transplanted into polythene bags when they are 3–6 cm tall. They can later be planted out in the field 3 months after transplanting into polythene bags. Wildings and stumps are also commonly planted. The planting distance is 4-7 X 4-7 m. Thinning is practised to obtain an eventual spacing of 15m x 15m or about 40 trees/ha (Lemmens et al, 1995).

Growth and DevelopmentExperimental trial plots of magas was established in 1971 at Gum Gum and Kolapis “A” Research Stations with the main aim to study its growth potential. A more recent planting was

Wood sample of Magas taken from FRC’s xylarium. The heartwood is white or pale yellow to pale reddish brown with a density ranging from 0.27 – 0.35 gm/cm3 (Oven-dry).

A 39-year-old magas stand at Kolapis A. This stand was planted with seedlings of the same seed-source with those planted at Gum-Gum. The growth is also comparable with those at Gum-Gum Research Station but “slow” in comparison with the species’ reported capability.

the Magas Seed Orchard in 1998, also in Kolapis A. There were 2 research plots planted at Gum-Gum Research Stations. The two plots were planted close to one another and thus the site condition is assumed similar. Based on the above data, it could be deduced that the growth of magas under plantation conditions in Gum-Gum Research Station is about 41 cm in diameter and about 22 meters at the age of 39 years old. The growth is not encouraging as compared to other magas plots reported elsewhere as below. It is not known why the trees could not grow bigger, but, probably because both the plots were not thinned as when it should have been thinned and perhaps, the seed source might have been collected from higher altitude mother trees that have different genetic variation and biological adaptation as compared to those that normally grow at the lower altitudes. Magas trees are light demanding and fast growing. Lemmens et al (1995) reported an average annual increment (MAI) in height and in diameter as 67cm and 2.5 cm, respectively, for magas in Indonesia, where it grows to 60 – 70 cm in diameter in 25 years. In the Philippines, D. Moluccana logs of up to 35 cm diameter and a merchantable height of 17.5 m have been obtained from an 11 year old plantation.

Table 1: Mean Diameter and Height Growth of Magas (D. moluccana) at Gum-Gum Research Station at the age of 39 years old Silviculture and Management

Not much is known of the species silvicultural and management requirements particularly under plantation conditions. Duabanga timber should be removed rapidly from logging areas, as it is susceptible to fungal and insect attack. The initial moisture content can be very high (up to 120%) and fresh logs may even sink in water.

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Insects, deer and cattle were reported to feed on seedlings and young plants. In South Kalimantan, Indonesia, an unidentified stem borer was found to attack trees in the field, disturbing their growth and reducing the quality of the timber (Lemmens et al, 1995).

ProspectsNot much is known of the species uses locally except for veneer and currently it is not one of the tree species for a commercial scale forest plantation programme in Sabah. However, it is a fast-growing tree with promising economic prospects for timber plantations. In severely degraded areas, being a pioneer species that could withstand direct sunlight, Magas could be among tree species suitable for the succession population to provide shade for future dipterocarp species to re-establish in any forest restoration programme. The species is widely reported as a suitable species for reforestation of denuded areas. However, its silvicultural requirement is not much known. Thus, perhaps it is high time that proper research be drawn up for D. moluccana to unveil its true potential in reforestation and also in any forest restoration programme. At this time when the natural forests

are under pressure for protection of the environment and mitigating the possible catastrophe resulting from “climate change”, plantation forest with a variety of fast growing tree species, such as magas, might be the answer to sustain the demand for socio-economic development and the state’s timber industry in the long run.

ReferencesLemmens RHMJ, Soerianagara I, Wong W.C. (eds.) (1995), Timber trees: Minor commercial timbers, Plant Resources of South East Asia No. 5(2). PROSEA, Bogor, Indoneia. pp. 210 – 215.

M. Trockenbrodt, Nasrah Y. and K. Misalam (1998), Density variation in Bayur (Pterospermum sp), Randagong (Trema orientalis) and Magas (Duabanga moluccana) from Sabah, Malaysia. In Holz als Roh-und Werkstoff 56(1998), pg. 221-222.

Othman Bojo (1995), Sonneratiaceae, Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak, Vol.1, Eds; E. Soepadmo and KM Wong, Pg. 445-446.

Recently planted Magas Seed Orchard with 9 seedlots at Kolapis A established in June 2008 at a spacing of 7m x 7m. This is the first plot of Magas with the aim to determine the best seedlots for future sources of magas planting material

293Visit of Tony Blair & Family to the RDC

Visit of Tony Blair and family to the Rainforest Discovery Centre

Mr. Anthony Charles Lynton “Tony” Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre on 6th August 2009. He was on a family holiday with his family to Sabah. He was accompanied by his wife Cherie Blair QC, daughter Kathryn Hazel, son Leo George, mother-in-law Gale Booth, his daughter’s friend, Leo’s nanny Jacky and two bodyguards. Blair’s group arrived at Sepilok in 2 helicopters and landed at the football field behind the Forest Research Centre at around 10 am. They visited the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre where they had a very close look at orang-utans and sun bears. After a private lunch, they went to the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) and arrived at about 2.15 pm.

Blair wasted no time scaling up the Bristlehead Tower. Cherie (right) spent a few minutes catching her breath

Blair was always within a short distance of Leo, mostly to keep his son’s enthusiasm for insects in check

At the RDC, they were anxious to get to the Canopy Walkway. Blair’s mother-in-law Gale, who was unable to walk too far, rested at the Exhibition Hall. During the walk to the Bristlehead Tower, they were very glad to be walking in the rain forest. Both Blair and Cherie were very impressed when they were told that the forest surrounding the lake was replanted in the early 1970s. The whole group showed keen interest during all the briefing stops at outdoor interpretive panels. Leo was especially interested in insects and ‘anything that crawled and slithered’, his father said. They were elated to know that the belian tree along the trail was about a thousand years old. Blair was especially admiring all the tall, straight dipterocarp trees. Approaching the Bristlehead Tower, Blair was visibly impressed with the structure. Blair and his children wasted no time climbing up right to the top. Later, they took family pictures at the walkway. They were not able to see the rare Bornean Bristlehead or any other iconic birds but they did see a Prevost squirrel at close range. Up on the Trogon Tower, Blair and Leo saw an orang-utan’s nest whilst Cherie was contemplating on scaling down the emergency ladder. Blair was also impressed with the sight of the distant tall trees towards the west. From the tower, the group went on the suspension bridge which the children really enjoyed. Blair wanted to rest at the nearby shelter but his children insisted that they headed back. However, it was enough time to get Blair, Cherie and Leo to pose for a photo. On the walk back to the Visitor Building, they spotted a flock of noisy Black Hornbills. Being very tired, hot and thirsty, they all happily accepted the offer to have a drink of water at the RDC office. Blair and his group left the RDC at about 3.50 pm. Their helicopters took off at around 4.00 pm.

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Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Introduction The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is a sun bear rescue and rehabilitation facility being developed in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Malayan sun bears are found only in Southeast Asia and are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red Book Listing of Endangered Species and are included on Appendix I of CITES. In Sabah, these bears continue to be threatened by forest degradation and habitat loss, illegal hunting for bear parts and to protect crops, and poaching to obtain young cubs for the pet trade. As a result of these threats, there are over thirty young sun bears currently living in unnatural and solitary captive conditions throughout Sabah, with no access to outdoor areas. The goal of the new BSBCC is to promote Malayan sun bear conservation by (1) creating the capacity to confiscate, rehabilitate and release suitable orphaned and ex- captive bears back into the wild; (2) providing an improved long- term living environment for captive bears that cannot be released; and (3) educating the public and raising awareness about this little known species through visitor programmes, outreach and support for further research.

Project BackgroundThe BSBCC was established as a not for profit organisation in Sabah in 2008. It is a joint project between sun bear researcher Siew Te Wong, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD). The project consists of a two- stage effort to provide for the care, rehabilitation and release of orphaned and captive sun bears, as well as much- needed education and awareness for the species. The first stage of the project is to build a new bear rescue facility (BSBCC) to house and rehabilitate rescued bears in their natural habitat, and to build an affiliated visitor centre to provide education and awareness about these bears. The second stage of the project will involve identifying and setting up a forest release site for those captive bears that have been evaluated and found suitable for return to the wild. This stage will include initial surveys of protected forest areas, such as Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Deramakot Forest Reserve, Danum Valley Conservation Area and Ulu Segama- Malua Forest Reserve, to determine existing populations and carrying capacities as well as the protection status of potential release areas. Once an appropriate site is identified, a small facility consisting of large forest enclosures will be constructed to allow for short- term care of the bears during soft release back into the forest and to allow for post- release monitoring and research. In 2007, an optimal site was chosen for the new BSBCC facility directly adjacent to the world- renowned Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC) in Sandakan, Sabah, on the site of an existing older bear house and a former rhino enclosure provided by SWD, along with several hectares of adjacent forest provided to the project by the SFD. The new Centre will include large forest enclosures in existing primary forest in order to provide a natural environment better suited to the needs and welfare of the bears and to facilitate the rehabilitation, training and return of individuals to the wild. Sun bear mothers spend the first 2- 3 years of their

cub’s life teaching survival skills. The Centre will aim to teach these skills to orphaned/ex- captive bears before they are reintroduced into the wild. The Centre also aims to provide critical outreach, information and educational materials about the sun bear to promote knowledge and awareness of this little known species locally, regionally and internationally, and serve as a base for continued sun bear research in Sabah. Due to the severely overcrowded conditions for the current captive bears, the construction of the Centre was divided into three phases to expedite completion of one new bear house and outdoor area. Phase I includes the construction of a 20- bear house and fenced enclosures. Phase II includes the renovation of the existing bear building to include office space, a visitor centre, and quarantine and kitchen area, refurbishment of boardwalks, and construction of a viewing platform and educational exhibits. Phase III entails the construction of a second bear house and fenced enclosures for 16 additional bears. Funding for Phase I was secured in 2008 (see Section 6 below), allowing planning and construction of Phase I to commence in 2009.

2009 Operations• BSBCCBoardofDirectorsA Board of Directors was established in 2008, and consisted initially of Cynthia Ong and Wong Siew Te, both of whom remained as Directors during 2009.The Directorship of Mr. Fred Kugan, Deputy Director of SFD, and Mr. Augustine Tuuga, Deputy Director of SWD were still in process during 2009.

• MeetingswithPartnersThree official meetings were held between partners LEAP, SFD and SWD in 2009, on 16th February, 29th April and 20th

November 2009.

• StaffingWong Siew Te is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BSBCC. During 2009, Wong remained in this position while also working on the completion of his PhD thesis in the United States. Wong played a critical role for BSBCC by giving presentations in the United States, as well as continuing to generate awareness and conducting ongoing fundraising on behalf of BSBCC and sun bear conservation. In addition, Wong continued to oversee ongoing operations at the BSBCC through constant communication with Acting Head Keeper, Ng Wai Pak, who managed BSBCC operations on the ground throughout 2009. Wong will return to Sabah after completion of his PhD to continue in his role as CEO of BSBCC on- site. BSBCC staff in 2009 consisted of Ng Wai Pak, Acting Head Keeper, and David bin Tahir, Animal Keeper. Ng Wai Pak was in charge of all day- to- day operations of BSBCC on the ground, as well as assisting with various aspects of construction of Phase I on- site. Wai Pak trained new staff, communicated with project partners, oversaw upkeep of the existing bear house, and was actively involved in all aspects of caring for and developing enrichment for the bears on- site. Wai Pak also was responsible for giving presentations to volunteer groups and visitors and overseeing animal care volunteers.

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BSBCC hired David bin Tahir as a Trainee Keeper on 1st April 2009. He soon obtained the full role of Animal Keeper. His responsibilities included including feeding, cleaning the bear cages and the BSBCC compound, and caring for the health and well- being of the bears. BSBCC staff were assisted in day- to- day tasks and operations by rangers from SOURC.

BearsBSBCC took over operations and care for the 11 captive bears living in the existing indoor rescue facility on the BSBCC site at the beginning of 2009. In January 2009, an ex- pet sub- adult female bear was brought to BSBCC, raising the total to 12 captive bears. Later in the year, an exchange was made between one of the BSBCC bears and a female bear from Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Kota Kinabalu. As these 12 bears had to remain in the existing indoor bear house during construction of the new enclosures under Phase I, BSBCC staff immediately began providing focused enrichment to relieve stress and boredom and began teaching important sun bear skills. Staff began regularly rotating the bears in three small indoor play/exercise areas, which were fitted with enrichment items to mimic the bears’ natural habitat, including logs, a rock pool, dried leaves, decayed wood with termites and a water tank. BSBCC staff provided various food items as incentives for exploring all the enrichment items and to help encourage basic skills such as foraging, digging and climbing. To help relieve stress and boredom in the living cages, staff also utilized frozen fruits and special bear proof toys generously donated by a staff member at Oakland Zoo in the US to keep the bears busy and stimulated. SWD continued to provide daily food for the bears at the facility throughout 2009. The food was prepared and distributed by BSBCC staff as part of daily operations. It is hoped that when Phase I is completed in early 2010 that many

Acting Head Keeper Wai Pak has to be a jack of many trades – here improving the concrete floor of the existing bear house (left) and checking the claws of one of the bears (centre) and new staff, David with bear food (right) (Photo by Jocelyn Stokes).

Young female bear in a cage enriched with dried leaves and durian, one of the bears’ favourite foods (left); Bear- proof toys stuffed with food (right)

New screening wall in front of the existing bear house, built to minimize disturbance to thebears from visitors (above); Camps International volunteers ‘dressing’ the wall with foliage (left).

of the other remaining bears held illegally in captivity in Sabah will be brought to the Centre.

Volunteers• BearActionTeams(BATs)VolunteerGroupsThe BATs (Bear Action Teams) programme commenced in July 2009 as a way to raise awareness amongst various volunteer groups about sun bears and their conservation as well as to provide extra support for infrastructure construction at BSBCC. This also enabled certain aspects of the construction to be carried out faster and at lower costs. During 2009, 12 groups took part. All groups were given an orientation and briefing and an introduction to the bears, and were required to read and sign a copy of the BSBCC Volunteer Rules and Regulations. Several groups also made cash donations to BSBCC or raised money for tools and materials. Many BATs groups have written blogs about their positive experiences at BSBCC, and hopefully will act as ambassadors for sun bears and their conservation in the future. The scheme has proved to be very popular and has been extended into 2010, with several more groups planned. BSBCC would like to say a special thank you to all the young people who worked so hard to give the bears a new and better home!

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• IndividualVolunteersA total of 7 individual volunteers worked at BSBCC during 2009. These volunteers also were given a detailed orientation and briefing and an introduction to sun bears and sun bear conservation. All volunteers were required to read and sign a copy of the BSBCC Volunteer Rules and Regulations.

• SOURCTravellersWorldwideVolunteerProgramIn addition, several volunteers working at SOURC from the Travellers Worldwide programmehelped out at the BSBCC during their visit to SOURC. These volunteers assisted with cleaning ofthe compound, collecting leaves for enrichment and preparing bear food.

Infrastructure DevelopmentsDesign Consultant Ian Hall and LEAP Biodiversity Project Manager Sylvia Yorath oversaw the development of Phase I at BSBCC. Ng Wai Pak provided assistance on- site.

• PermitsandContractorsBSBCC received an Occupation Permit from SFD for the land under Forest Reserve and a letter of support from SWD during the first half of 2009. BSBCC subsequently submitted building plans for all 3 phases of construction, including the modifications to the existing building on SWD land, to Sandakan Council (MPS) on 28th May 2009. Following MPS comments on 3rd August, revisions were made to some of the drawings and plans for resubmission in early 2010. BSBCC solicited and obtained three quotes for the construction of Phase I in Spring 2009. A Letter of Award was signed with Mee San Sdn. Bhd. of Lahad Datu for RM613,732.20 on 15th June for construction of the new bear

Raleigh volunteers grappling with steel rods for construction of the bear- proof fencing (above left); Camps International group helping to build the Biogas Digester (above centre); BATs volunteer placing metal rods into the ground to form the base of the bear- proof fence (above right); Wai Pak with World Challenge volunteers and BATs supervisor Howard Stanton (left).

Handing over ceremony between Sabah Forestry Department and contractor Mee San Sdn. Bhd., with LEAP’s Cynthia Ong (centre) and Design Consultant Ian Hall (far right).

house for 20 bears. The official handing over of the site to thecontractor took place on 29th June 2009. Mee San Sdn. Bhd .was also contracted to build the perimeter fence for the one hectare forest enclosures at a cost of RM140,988.25, (using, wherever possible, the existing ironwood or ‘belian’ posts from the old Sumatran Rhino enclosure which previously stood on the site), as well as new chainlink fencing between enclosures. BATs volunteer groups were also designated to assist with the construction of the perimeter fencing.

• GroundbreakingCeremonyThe commencement of construction of Phase I of BSBCC in mid- 2009 was a significant milestone for BSBCC. A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on 17th July 2009 to mark the occasion and to commemorate the hard work and commitment of everyone involved. The Guest of Honour wasDatuk Masidi Manjun, Sabah’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment. Other distinguished guests included SWD Director Mr. Laurentius Ambu, SFD Director Datuk Sam Mannan and LEAP Executive Director Cynthia Ong. SFD Rainforest Discovery Centre Junior Rangers and volunteers from Raleigh and South East Scotland and Malaysian scouts also attended the ceremony. The occasion was made even more special

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Datuk Masidi Manjun with SWD Director Laurentius Ambu and BATs volunteers at theGroundbreaking event

Bobohizan traditional cleansing ceremony at the site

Architect’s Drawing of the Phase I Bear House with a capacity for 20 bears

Bear house under construction during Phase 1

(Left to right)Progress of the new bear house construction from July – December 2009.

by featuring a local traditional ceremony called a ‘Mongimbi’, carried out by ‘Bobohizan’ or local priestesses, to ensure the safe passage of the project, and was covered extensively in the local press.

Phase I Construction Progress• BearHouseConstruction of the new bear house progressed smoothly through most of 2009, but due to heavy rain towards the end of the year, the final completion date was extended to early 2010. By the end of 2009, the bear house was approximately 75% completed, with only portions of the electrical fittings, plumbing, painting and some welding and flooring and external works still to be completed.

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• FencingThe construction of the perimeter fencing using existing belian, as well as the chainlink fencing between the 4 large and 2 small forest enclosures, was also slightly delayed due to rains. It was 40% complete by the end of 2009. The deadline for completion was extended to February 2010, after which hot- wiring (the installation of an electric fence), will be carried out by a specialized contractor to prevent bears from escaping from their outdoor enclosures.

• BiogasDigesterA biogas digester, constructed with the help of BATs volunteers, was 85% completed by the end of 2009 and will be finished in early 2010. This digester will be used to turn bear dung into methane gas that can be used to cook the bears’ daily rice.

• TreePruningandCuttingAs the site of the new bear house and forest enclosures is inside the Sepilok Forest Reserve, assistance was sought from SFD to cut or prune a small number of trees deemed dangerous to the site or too close to the new perimeter fencing, which might allow bears to escape on arboreal pathways.

• UtilitiesConnectionsA new telephone line was connected to BSBCC, which now has its own telephone number. Water and electricity connections were extended to the new bear house from the existing building, and dedicated meters will be installed before completion of Phase I.

Financial SummaryDuring 2009, RM 699,640 and US$40,516 were raised for Phase I construction and BSBCC operations. In addition, Phase I construction was funded largely through donations raised at the ‘Bear Necessities Fundraising Event’ held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in November 2008, along with matching funds of RM652,436 from the Sabah state government received on 1st September 2009, which are included in the 2009 budget. A total of RM530,993 was spent on Phase I construction and RM80,703 on operations during 2009. The remainder will be carried over to 2010 for completion of Phase I construction. Proposals for funding for various capital costs for Phases II and III were provided to SWD on 21st August 2009 for submission for consideration in the 9th and 10th Malaysian Plans respectively. According to SWD, both proposals will be submitted under the 10th Malaysia Plan. Allocations are expected to be announced in late 2010.

Public Awareness & Fund Raising• SunBearBlogThe Bornean Sun Bear blog, www.sunbears.wildlifedirect.org, which was started by Wong in May 2008, continued to run successfully throughout 2009 with a total of 121 blogs posted by 31st December 2009. Contributions to the blog were made by BATs team members and individual volunteers, as well as Wong Siew Te and Ng Wai Pak, and provided a lively and up- to- date chronicle of the development of BSBCC. The blog also served as a means to spread information and awareness about sun bear conservation in general and wildlife trade and poaching in the region. Individual donations to BSBCC were also received through the blog site throughout 2009.

• YouTubeVideoA 3.5 minute video on BSBCC and sun bear conservation was prepared specially for the Wildlife Direct blog page and also shown on You Tube and LEAP’s blog page.

• PresentationsandConferencesDuring 2009, Wong Siew Te gave a total of nine oral presentations at various conferences, zoos and events

Existing belian fencing, re- used to form the perimeter of the forest enclosures, with steel rods at the base to prevent bears digging under the fence.

Groundwork for the access boardwalk to BSBCC.Wong presenting at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, USA in July, 2009.

The biogas digester under construction next to the new bear house.

• AccessBoardwalkDuring 2009, the route for a boardwalk providing the main public access to the Centre from the SOURC car park was surveyed and laid out and the boardwalk was designed, including a bridge over a small stream. The boardwalk and bridge will be completed in 2010 by BATs groups as part of Phase II construction.

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across the US. Ng Wai Pak attended the 2009 International Conference on Wildlife Rescuing in East and South East Asia held in Taiwan in November 2009, and gave a presentation on BSBCC and the status of the Malayan sun bear, and later the same month attended the 2009 International Symposium on Conservation of the Asiatic Black Bear, also in Taiwan.

• MagazineArticlesWong Siew Te wrote and submitted an article on BSBCC and sun bear conservation for the July 2009 issue of Society and Environment – a monthly magazine published by Zayed International Prize for the Environment, based in Dubai, UAE.

• EducationalBrochures1,100 copies of an attractive educational leaflet were produced in November 2009 for distribution at various events in the US and at BSBCC. The professional design for the brochure was generously donated by Mike Bromberg in the US.

• SchoolsThe East Asian Region Council of Schools (EARCOS), which held its annual conference in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on March 26th- 28th, 2009, chose BSBCC as the recipient of its fundraising efforts for the event. A total of RM5,255 ($1,450) was raised from the sale of raffle tickets, donations and a charity run. BSBCC set up a booth at the conference and many teachers in attendance showed interest in sun bears and their conservation and ways in which schools could help out with education and awareness.

SK Bukit Damansara, a primary school in Kuala Lumpur, held a fundraising event for BSBCC in 2009, producing t- shirts with the BSBCC logo and messages about sun bear conservation and a sun bear calendar, as well as holding a poster competition and drama performance, to raise funds and awareness about sun bears.

• ToteBagsMs. Rika Koreeda and her company Spoon + Fork, Inc., a New York based boutique creative agency, designed and printed 200 copies of a sun bear tote bag to help raise funds and awareness about sun bears in the US. The bags were sold during a one- day sale in her office and also may be ordered by e- mail. All proceeds are donated to BSBCC.

Wai Pak and Sylvia manning the BSBCC booth at the EARCOS event.

Tote bag with a sun bear motif (right).Local children learning firsthand how it feels to be a bear in a cramped cage!

• FilmingGroupsandTVCoverageTwo major filming groups visited BSBCC during the year: German TV ‘MDR’ filmed part of a documentary on the Heart of Borneo at BSBCC on 22nd October 2009, and Jack Hanna of Columbus Zoo, USA, filmed a segment at BSBCC for his show “Jack Hanna’s Into The Wild” on 25th October 2009. The latter segment will be televised in early 2010. Following a visit by Malaysian TV personality Joanna Bessey to BSBCC on November 7, 2008, an interview with Wong Siew Te on the plight of the sun bear was aired globally on BBC World News on 4th April 2009.

• UKSunBearCharitySun Bear Conservation Trust UK, a charity set up in England by ex- volunteers who worked with the existing captive sun bears at Sepilok prior to the establishment of BSBCC, were very active in 2009 and raised over GBP1,200 during the year for BSBCC through sponsored runs, cake stalls and other events.

• TabinWildlifeHolidaysSdn.Bhd.Local ecotourism company Tabin Wildlife Holidays Sdn Bhd, which runs the Tabin Wildlife Resort on the edge of Tabin Wildlife Reserve in southeast Sabah, supported sun bear conservation through a donation of RM100 for each 3 day- 2 night Tabin tour programme purchased between October and December 2009. Each buyer received a sun bear plush toy in return for their contribution. The initiative was advertised by Tourism Malaysia, local newspapers, Tabin Wildlife Holiday’s newsletter, and an attractive poster, all helping to raise awareness of sun bears and their conservation. This was a great example of a local company stepping up to support theconservation of wildlife in Sabah and we hope that other companies will follow suit.

Notable VisitorsSix students from Universiti Putra Malaysia visited BSBCC from 1st - 7th April 2009. BSBCC staff shared information on sun bear research, the installation of camera traps and use of CCTV, bear eating habits, cage design and daily operations of BSBCC. This sort of linkage enhances collaboration with local research and academic institutions and will benefit sun bear conservation in the future. Participants from the YAWA 6th International Children’s Conference on the Environment visited BSBCC from 2nd – 4th

June 2009. The children learned about the various conditions and hardships faced by sun bears in captivity and also about sun bear ecology and behaviour.

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Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and family made a private visit to BSBCC on 10th August 2009. They were given a special educational briefing by Ng Wai Pak and were given a tour of the bear house and the plans for the new Centre. They also met with the Raleigh and Scouts volunteer groups working at the Centre, giving the volunteers a very special personal acknowledgment of the value of their charitable services for conservation.

Tony Blair meeting West Lancashire Scouts (left); Wai Pak with a T- shirt signed by Tony Blair (right).

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Borneo Rhino Sanctuaryin Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Last chance to prevent the extinction of the rhino in Borneo

The Sumatran rhino is one of the most endangered animal species anywhere in the world. The current number of

living individuals of the Bornean subspecies of the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni; also known as the Bornean rhino) is possibly around forty or less, almost all in Sabah. With a birth interval of at least three years under optimum conditions, probably no more than two rhinos are now being born annually in Borneo. The African and Indian rhinos species were in a similar situation about a century ago, as were several other large mammal species such as the European bison, Arabian oryx and Pere David’s deer, all of which were built up to much larger numbers with appropriate actions by a small number of dedicated people. Sabah now offers the only likely prospect for saving this sub-species, and the best prospect for saving the species in Malaysia. Protection of wild rhinos “in situ” has for many years been the mainstay of rhino conservation work in Malaysia and Indonesia. This has involved stiff penalties for killing or possession of rhino parts, and regular patrols by “rhino protection units”. Yet wild rhino populations have continued to decline or go extinct locally. Sumatran rhino populations which only a few decades ago probably numbered in the hundreds (in the Gunung Leuser mountain complex of northern Sumatra) or tens (in Endau-Rompin, Peninsular Malaysia), have been wiped out. Poaching and habitat loss continue to be named as the big threats to Sumatran rhinos, but there is now a much bigger threat : very low numbers of rhinos. As numbers of individuals of a species decline drastically, the various factors associated with very low numbers (e.g. narrow genetic base, locally skewed sex ratio, difficulty in finding a fertile mate, reproductive pathology associated with long non-reproductive periods) conspire to drive numbers even lower, to the extent that death rate eventually exceeds birth

rate, even with adequate habitat and zero poaching. In the absence of specific actions to bring Sumatran rhinos together and boost production of offspring, therefore, there is a strong possibility that the species may go extinct. Monitoring and protection of rhinos and rhino habitats represent a necessary but insufficient approach to preventing rhino extinction. Zero poaching and zero illegal snare-trapping of rhinos are efforts that need to be sustained. But more importantly, there needs to be a way to bring fertile female and male rhinos into conditions which maximize their chances of meeting and breeding. This is the purpose of “Borneo Rhino Sanctuary” inside Tabin Wildlife Reserve, a fenced, managed area to be populated by rhinos translocated from other sites where those rhinos are reproductively isolated and unable to contribute to the species survival. The Borneo Rhino Sanctuary concept dates from a workshop held in Kota Kinabalu in July 2007, arranged by the non-governmental organization SOS Rhino and Sabah Wildlife Department, with participation by many local, national and international experts. The workshop participants agreed that (1) Sabah rhinos are heading to extinction largely because numbers of fertile individuals is low and these rhinos are not meeting and reproducing, and (2) Sabah’s rhinos need to be concentrated into one designated area in order to promote breeding. In early 2008, the national government of Malaysia launched the Sabah Development Corridor programme, to promote a more organized and rapid approach to development in Sabah. The official programme document, page 189, section 7.4.9 Rhino Rescue Program, states : “guaranteeing the sub-species protection is no longer sufficient to ensure its survival. .. Lack of breeding and inbreeding .. now present the most immediate threat. .. it will be necessary to establish a closely-managed population in a designated area ..”.

Tam in his 2.5 hectare paddock at Tabin.

Bornean Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve

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Following the 2007 workshop, a task force was established, chaired by Sabah Wildlife Department, with members from other governmental and non-governmental agencies. The task force decided to identify a managed site, to be known as Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, to which scattered rhinos could be brought, in order to have a greater number of genetically unrelated rhinos. Eight sites were reviewed between November 2007 – February 2008, including Tabin Wildlife Reserve and forests adjacent to Danum Valley. Following preliminary identification of Taliwas in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Tabin was subsequently chosen as the best location overall for a fenced sanctuary to which scattered isolated rhinos should be brought. The main reasons for selecting Tabin included the existence of extensive forest habitat known to be suitable for rhinos, and the option at a later stage to mix existing and introduced rhinos for breeding. The 2007 workshop did not prescribe how rhinos should be concentrated. Some experts believed that Sabah should follow the model used at Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, established in 1998. In this model, rhinos are held individually in adjacent 10 hectare forest paddocks, arranged like the segments of a cut orange fruit, within a single large circle, with constant intensive monitoring. Individual females and males are brought together when the female is receptive, based on constant monitoring of her reproductive condition. Tabin Wildlife Reserve, however, (along with all other available potential sites in Sabah) differs from Way Kambas, in being undulating and steep terrain. The arrangement of paddocks in Way Kambas depends on the availability of flat terrain. At the time the Sabah concept for a rhino sanctuary was being discussed initially (mid 2007 – mid 2008), the rhinos in Way Kambas (three females, two males) had not reproduced. Other experts believed that a better approach was to catch as many rhinos as possible, and release them into a single very large forest enclosure, with rhinos allowed to mate without human interference. In November 2008, African rhino translocation expert and veterinarian Dr Jacques Flamand, visited several potential “sanctuary” sites in Sabah. He suggested that the single large enclosure model should be tried, as Way Kambas had not succeeded in breeding rhinos, while large enclosure models had worked well in Africa. In December 2008, a 4,500 hectare perimeter road for a large enclosure was identified in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Agreement was reached to build such a large fenced sanctuary. Formal approval by the State Cabinet for Borneo Rhino Sanctuary was granted in May 2009.

It was intended that the 4,500 ha Borneo Rhino Sanctuary boundary would consist of three main elements : a narrow gravel perimeter road, 3 strands of electrified wire along the roadside (a method used commonly in Sabah to prevent elephants from entering oil palm plantations), and an additional visual cue, such as painted stones, to show rhinos and other wildlife the presence of the electrified fence. Rhinos would be sensitized to electrified fence before being released into the Sanctuary, so they would know that it gives a shock. It was anticipated that falling trees, elephants and pigs would frequently push down the electrified fence, and so constant monitoring would be needed to allow the fence to be re-erected at any breach.

Construction of a temporary 2.5 hectare rhino paddock at Tabin, financed by Sabah Forestry Department.

An old paddock at Tabin, dating from the 1990s, was renovated to form an interim home for the rhino, Tam.

However, the single large enclosure concept in Tabin has very significant problems. The chosen alignment for the large single-enclosure Sanctuary had a perimeter of 33 kilometres, through rainforest on predominantly rugged terrain. Of that, about 11 km was already existing road, while the remainder was old overgrown logging roads, that would need major rebuilding. The 22 km of new road would cross 9 rivers and about 100 small ephemeral streams and water courses, yet all the old bridges had long since been washed away. The establishment of a fenced area with perimeter road in such conditions would have been unprecedented for wildlife conservation in South-east Asia and globally in tropical rainforest. Subsequently, through 2009, several concerns became increasingly apparent. Firstly, this model assumed that several fertile rhinos could be located and captured within a few years, yet there was a growing realisation that there are extremely few fertile rhinos remaining that, for logistical and policy reasons, could be caught and moved. Secondly, the bulk of evidence from Indonesia and Malaysia is that a high percentage of adult Sumatran rhinos (female and male) are infertile; close management is needed to treat and manage the infertility; putting rhinos in a single large enclosure without close human monitoring may mean simply releasing rhinos that cannot breed. Thirdly, the cost of building and maintaining such a large sanctuary would be enormous. Then, in February 2010, it was confirmed that a young female rhino in Way Kambas was pregnant (previously, there were concerns by some experts that stress due to intensive human presence and monitoring was the reason for no successful breeding between 1998-2009; in fact, the problem previously was that the old male was infertile and the young male – born in

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Wildlife and BORA staff at the rhino paddock site with vehicle donated by Yayasan Sime Darby for Borneo Rhino Sanctuary.

Interior of the old rhino night stall at Tabin after renovation

Cincinnati Zoo in 2001 - too young to breed). By end of 2009, it was considered that the Way Kambas model would be the better bet and should be adopted in Sabah for the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. In the mean time, a rhino “caught” by a WWF-Malaysia video camera “trap” at Kretam (the imagery was released in April 2007) was actually caught in real life on 13 August 2008, having walked out of the forest into an oil palm plantation, from where it refused to return to the forest. This rhino, a mature male named Kretam, or Tam for short, was enticed into a crate and moved into a small temporary paddock in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. This event was caused by a series of unforeseen circumstances, and had not been intended to take place until 2009. Funds made available at short notice by Sabah Forestry Department, the State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, and WWF-Malaysia, enabled the old paddock to be improved with new facilities, and extended

to include 2.5 hectares of forest. The core permanent Borneo Rhino Sanctuary facilities are expected to be developed under the Sabah Development Corridor programme. In July 2009, the programme was given a significant boost with the announcement of a substantial three-year funding commitment from Yayasan Sime Darby, which will go towards developing staff quarters, seeking and translocating rhinos, and operating the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary. At end of 2009, it was decided that priorities for year 2010 should include immediate identification of the permanent Borneo Rhino Sanctuary site within Tabin Wildlife Reserve, the rescue of additional rhinos from reproductively isolated sites (prioritizing female rhinos), addition of interim rhino facilities and staff quarters at Tabin, and commencement of building the permanent Borneo Rhino Sanctuary structures.

Preventing the extinction of the rhino in Sabah requires focused, collaborative work, involving government and NGOs. Corporate assistance is needed not only in the form of financial sponsorship but also “in kind”, particularly from land owners surrounding Tabin and other Forest Reserves where rhinos exist. Sabah Wildlife Department takes the lead role for rhinos, Sabah Forestry Department for the forests. SOS Rhino Sabah changed its name to Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) and, based at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, this NGO works to support Sabah Wildlife Department at Tabin Wildlife Reserve, while WWF-Malaysia continues essential rhino monitoring work at other rhino sites in Sabah.

Bornean Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve

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The Origin of an R.P. (Research Plot) Plate in Tabin Forest Reserve

The abbreviation R.P. on a metal plate refers to research plot and it is commonly used to indicate the location of study

plots that are established under the Forest Research Centre since the 1930s until the present day. It is usually used for silvicultural and ecological studies, within the forest reserve. Recently, an R.P. plate, as shown in Fig.1, was found by the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) field team in a late secondary forest at Tabin Forest Reserve (Fig. 2). Historically, this plate was put up in August 1970 to indicate the location of Research Plot No. 347, and also to notify the concessionaire, at that time Wing Loi Timber Company Sdn. Bhd. (Special Licence

Fig.1: The worn out 40-year old RP plate (left) found in Tabin Forest Reserve and an original sample of RP plate (right) that is still kept in the Forest Research Centre

FD No. 79/33), that this logged-over forest was being studied scientifically and felling of trees was prohibited. The research at that time focussed on silvicultural practices in the mixed dipterocarp forest, with the purpose to investigate different regimes of girdling intensities, which included manipulation of felling and application of arboricide on non-commercial tree species. The primary objective of the study was to assess the increased growth of potential crop tree. The late Mr. Liew Tat Chim, who was the Forest Ecologist cum Silviculturist, initiated the research plot and the forest was then known as Silabukan Forest Reserve.

Fig. 2: The location of the RP Plate, within Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah

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The records in the Forest Research Centre show that three measurements were made in the plot after the silvicultural treatment in August 1970. The last measurement was taken in August 1974, and the plot remains inactive ever since. There is no scientific report published on this research plot.

The significance of silviculture research in Silabukan Forest ReserveIn the past, Silabukan Forest Reserve included Tabin Wildlife Reserve and the surrounding oil palm estates. Most of the areas back then, were classified as lowland mixed dipterocarp forest and actively logged by several logging concessionaires. During this intensive logging period, the Forest Research Centre carried out several studies on silviculture of lowland mixed dipterocarp forest. These studies aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of forestry management activities in increasing the growth of potential crop trees in logged

Fig. 3: Historical photos taken in 1970s, showing the releasing of regenerating dipterocarp seedlings: (above) climber cutting, and (below) tree felling, for promoting the growth of potential crop trees in Silabukan Forest Reserve.

Origin of an R.P (Research Plot) Plate in Tabin FR

over forest by controlling the establishment, composition, characteristics, and growth of the forest. During the period from 1965 to 1982, several key research studies were carried out as listed below:

1 Replanting of commercial timber trees on poorly stocked forest

2 Advance growth studies on logged over dipterocarp forest3 Silvicultural treatment studies on girdling, climber cutting

and arboricide trials on non-commercial trees (Figure 3)4 Observation on changes in composition after logging5 Phenological observation on potential timber trees

Silabukan Forest Reserve is thus recognised as an important study site for supporting the development and improvement of silvicultural techniques in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in Sabah.

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Log Loading and Off-LoadingThe writer of this article, Ross Ibbotson, is researching material for a book on the

History of Logging in North Borneo and would appreciate any information or copies of photographs pertinent to this subject.

Please contact by email: [email protected]

With the introduction of crawler tractors and logging trucks into the Forest Industry (See my articles in the Annual Reports for 2007 and 2008) it became essential to mechanise the process of loading logs onto trucks in the bush and similarly, off-load the trucks at the log dumps. With the rail operations that preceded roads and logging trucks, the rail log bogies were low, and in general, with 2ft gauge anyway, only single logs were carried. Moreover logs hand hauled by kuda-kuda gangs were, by necessity, kept short and therefore relatively light and it was possible to hand load bogies by rolling the logs up simple ramps.

Offloading was equally simple and usually accomplished by removing chocks and binders and rolling the log off the bogie direct into the water either by hand or using a jack.

This was reasonably easy but the rolling logs could strike other logs floating in the river with considerable force causing them to split, and there was the additional problem of sinker logs, which had to be retrieved immediately, otherwise they drifted with the current and were lost. (Plate 3.) In some

Plate 4: Rail Unloading Dump, British Borneo Timbers, Segaliud River . (Aerial photo)(Date and photographer unknown –about 1960)

Plate 1: Kuda-Kuda Gang Loading Log by Ramp (Photo G.S. Brown 1949)

Plate 3. Rolling Log directly into River, Segaliud. (Photo B.C.Allen, North Borneo Timbers, 1952)

Plate 2. Releasing log prior to rolling into Kinabatangan River, c1960. (Photo unknown; Robin Wookey Collection)(Serayah logs like the one shown above can split easily with an impact even if secured by S-Hooks)

camps a small crane was used to lift logs off the bogies and lower them into the water. Excessive splitting was eliminated and sinker logs could be retrieved and lifted out for loading on barges or put back into the river to be supported between floaters and rafted.

Plate 4 - Shows details of a crane at the Segaliud River Rail Unloading Dump of the British Borneo Timber/Sabah Timbers operations at Lungmanis . The crane, was a Ruston-Bucyrus RB38 and is fitted with a log grapple or a clamshell bucket which has just lifted a sinker log which, from the colour, has

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Log Loading and Off-Loading

Plate 5: A Frame Loading, British Borneo Timbers, Kalumpang. (Photo George Brown. 1952)

Plate 6: Loading Logs with a Caterpillar D7E Tractor and Hyster Logging Arch, Bombay Burma Trading Corporation, Kalabakan Forest Reserve about 1960. (Photographer unknown, B.R. Ibbotson collection)

Plate 7: Spar Tree Rigged Heel-Boom, Kennedy Bay Timber Company. (Photographer unknown, Sabah Information Department about 1960)

Plate 8: Rigging Diagram for Tree Heel Boom (after Young)

been under water for some time. The lifted sinker logs are secured by wires looped to poles supported between two floater logs. The small raftlets are then consolidated into rafts for towing to shipment port. The first road truck operations in Sabah were carried out by British Borneo Timbers in their Kalumpang Concession near Mostyn in 1952. (See my Article in 2008 Annual Report). They used A-Frames and a winch powered by a small Lister engine to load the Tasker Trailer and Unipower combinations. The logs were lifted utilizing crotch lines and end hooks (sometimes known as ‘cup hooks’). The disadvantage of these systems was the obvious lack of mobility and extended set up times. (Plate 5.)

When logging trucks were first adopted by the big companies big mobile log loading cranes were available from North America but they were expensive and delivery was protracted, so initially a variety of methods were employed to load logs. In some operations logs were simply pushed up ramps and rolled onto the truck by a bulldozer. In others they were winched up by a technique known as ‘par-buckling”, in which a length of wire rope is attached at each end to the truck bunks to form a V-shaped loop under the logs which are then winched over the truck bed. The Bombay Burma Trading Corporation used a Cat D7 and a Hyster Logging arch, with

an extended fairlead boom in Kalabakan Forest Reserve for some time, and when faced with a breakdown of loaders the writer loaded logs by this method in the late 1960s. (Plate 6.) This was a slow procedure and it was difficult to achieve a full balanced load although this was probably acceptable when hauls were short. Where cable logging was practiced it was possible to use the yarder to also load logs. At Kennedy Bay Timber Company they used wooden heel booms hinged to the spar tree. (Plate 7)

The rigging requirement for these booms was complex, (Plate 8). The boom angle was fixed with the main line lifting the loading tongs. Lateral swing of about 1600 was accomplished with the haul back line operating through a series of blocks against a counter weight. (The same system used to be employed on merchant ship derricks.) This system would take a fairly long time to set up at each setting even with a skilled yarder crew. For the limited number logs produced by a single yarder setting it was a lot of work, although where skylines and multiple swings were employed with a large number of logs produced to the spar it would be efficient. The loading operation would be fairly slow and the system had the added disadvantage that the yarding operation would have to stop while loading trucks. Nevertheless, it was an ingenious system and worked when nothing else was available.

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Plate 9: Washington TL 11 Trackloader, British Borneo Timbers, Kalumpang. (Photographer unknown Sabah Information Department 1957-60.)

Logs could also be loaded using end hooks and crotch lines attached to the rigging and lifting with the haulback or mainline against the brakes against the other drum. Alignment of the suspended logs being achieved by spiked poles or light ropes. As the need for greater productivity increased it became necessary to invest in dedicated mobile loading machines and the three expatriate companies had purchased machines by 1957 or 1958. The favoured machines were the heel boom loaders produced by two North American Companies, Washington Ironworks and Skagit Corporation. Developed for the big timber of old growth logging operations in the Pacific Northwest, these were reasonably suited to Borneo conditions, the only drawback being, that as we do not have the very high yields of the American and Canadian clear cut operations, they had to be moved much more frequently. These machines also had yarding capabilities and could be employed to bring in roadside timber. Plate 9 shows British Borneo Timbers’ Washington Ironworks TL 11 Trackloader yarding road side logs at Kalumpang circa 1958 The Washington loader was slow to move but could rotate 360º. The Skagit boom rotation was

restricted to about 180º forward of the cab, but was more mobile cab. Both these machines had to be guyed back to Yard or load. The later model Washington TL-15 was much heavier and could load logs without the need to set guy lines. Bombay Burma Trading Corporation took delivery of a unit in 1960 and the writer had it overhauled and fitted with a Young Grapple in 1970 and it continued to serve until the 1980s. With the addition of the extra counter weight and grapple this machine weighed 75 tons and was heavy to move around. Moreover, it could not be turned on the trailer had to be loaded across the low-bed making the overall load width over 20 ft.

Plate 10: Skagit SJ 4 Loader, Bombay Burma Trading Corporation, Kalabakan and is a Skagit SJ-4 heelboom on a three axle rubber tyred undercarriage with hydraulic outriggers. (Photo K.V.Robinson 1960)

Plate 11: Washington TL 15 with Young Log Grapple about to be loaded on Crane Trailer hauled by Pacific P16, North Borneo Timbers, Luasong. (Author’s photo c1970)

Plate 12: Washington TL 15 with Young Log Grapple about to be loaded on Crane Trailer hauled by Pacific P16, North Borneo Timbers, Luasong. (Author’s photo c1970)

The last of the heel boom loaders to operate in Sabah were the Washington TL-6 loaders which were mounted on a four axle rubber tyred chassis with hydraulic outriggers. (Plate 13) These were excellent machines, stable when travelling on the road and quick to set up with reliable outriggers which did not give trouble.

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Log Loading and Off-Loading

These machines were excellent for operation under yarders or where landing area were restricted. They could lift most logs without needing to be guyed and could move around quite quickly. They also had yarding abilities if the grapple was removed and guylines set. North Borneo Timbers, Sabah Timbers and Kennedy Bay Timbers had a number of heel boom loaders of various models. However, they were very expensive and the big rubber tyred loaders developed by Caterpillar and International Harvester in the late 1960s were now big enough to handle Sabah Logs, faster to move around and, most importantly, considerably cheaper.

When articulated wheeled loaders were first introduced it was thought by many that they did not have the height to load off-highway trucks with an adequate load without building ramps. However operators soon became adept at gripping logs with the fork clamps and placing them at an angle well above the height of the hinge pin. The Cat 980 had a tipping load of about 14 ton but logs well in excess of this were loaded by lifting one end onto the truck at a time. The photo shows the operator delicately placing the ‘peaker’ log on top of the load -with a skilled operator big loads could be achieved quickly. In the early days of logging trucks logs were off loaded by tripping the bunk stake cable releases and nudging the logs off with a tractor or a yarder and a gin pole (Plate 14.)

However, it was soon realized that this cause damaged to logs and was hard on the trucks and A-frames capable of lifting the complete load were developed. Prior to the availability of big rubber tyred log loaders like the Caterpillar 980 most A-frames were designed to lift the entire load and swing it directly into the water. This worked perfectly initially but no matter how deep the water it always silted up with an accumulation of bark and sinker logs and one had to retrieve these logs and excavate bark and silt regularly. Otherwise a of pile logs would build up at low tide and rafting could be delayed. Plate 15 shows the spectacular single pole luffing Unloader system employed by British Borneo Timbers at Kalumpang. This was capable of lifting the entire load and depositing it gently in the water, where self releasing hooks automatically freed the slings when the tension in the slings was taken off.

An ambitious sky line system was installed at the Wallace Bay (Later North Borneo Timbers) Brantian River operations. This consisted of two opposing A-Frames supporting a tight 1½ inch skyline. The concept to take logs off the truck and deposit them in deep water and facilitate rafting was sound enough but it had not been properly engineered and there was inadequate deflection in the sky line between the two A-Frames to carry the loads without exceeding the safe working load of the wire rope. As a result it broke regularly, even after the installation of a massive 2-inch diameter skyline.

Plate 13: Caterpillar 980C Log Loader, North Borneo Timbers, Imbak. (Author’s Photo 1984)

Plate 15: Single Pole Unloader System at British Borneo Timbers Kalumpang Operation circa 1960. (Photo Sabah Information Department)

Plate 16: Unloading A-frame, Sabah Timber Company, Tinkayu River, 1970s. (Photo R.M. Macpherson collection)

Plate 14: Offloading with Gin Pole Cable, Kalabakan. (Early 1960s photographer unknown, author’s collection)

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Plate 17: Skyline Unloading System at Brantian River, Kalabakan Forest Reserve, North Borneo Timbers. (Photographer unknown, c1966 author’s collection)

Plate 18: Plate 18. Main A-Frame at North Borneo Timbers, Kalabakan. (Author’s Photo about 1982)

Plate 19: Plate 18. Main A-Frame at North Borneo Timbers, Kalabakan. (Author’s Photo about 1982)

This 100-ton capacity A-frame was erected back from the river in 1975. The logs were lowered onto the ramp until the MAR-Hooks automatically released the slings and let them free to roll. They were then removed immediately by a Cat 980 wheeled loader and sorted into sinkers and floaters for rafting and barging. Plate 16 shows the load about to be settled on the ramp. The two MAR (Mitchell Automatic Releasing) hooks can be seen at the right hand side of the load. These are set by placing the ferrules in a slot in the body of the hook and taking up the load which depresses a spring leaving the ferrules securely locked. Once the load is lowered and the tension in the slings falls below two tons, the ferrules rise free of the lock and are automatically kicked clear of the cage by a spring loaded lifter, thereby releasing the load.

Sinkers were sorted by species and loaded by crane onto barges and towed direct to ship side when required, and the system operated without a hitch until operations were closed in 1986. Many camps did not use A-Frames and employed wheeled loaders like the Caterpillar 980 to take the logs off the truck. This certainly worked with a good operator but damage to logs from log forks did occur and it could be dangerous with high loads and several men were killed by logs rolling off trucks.

311History of Sibuga FR

When someone mentions Sibuga Forest Reserve, most Sandakanians would immediately think of Taman Rimba

and the POW camp during the Second World War, where the infamous death marches started. Very few people know of its beginnings as an agricultural station where research was conducted to see which crops were suitable to be planted in Sabah (then North Borneo). In September 1921, the Agriculture Department opened its Agricultural Experimental Station (AES), as it was known. (N.B. In those early days of the North Borneo Chartered Company, the Conservator of Forests was also the Director of Agriculture).

1921-1947The earliest plantings at the AES covered some 11 hectares and included different varieties of oil palms (Elaeis guinensis) and kamiri (Aluerites moluccana), now known locally as buah keras.The station gradually opened up and planted various kinds of fruit trees and other economic plants, both indigenous and exotic. Among those planted were bamboos (Bambusa vulgaris and Gigantochloa scortechinii), Manila hemp, coffee, pineapple, Mandarin orange, Washington Navel Orange and grape fruit. Various strains of padi were also grown. Livestock was also reared. Berkshire boars from Australia were crossed with Chinese sows to improve the local stock. Others included sheep and a number of birds such as turkey, leghorn, Rhode Island chicken and fan-tailed pigeon. During the Japanese Occupation, there was an internment camp for (mostly) Australian POWs just north of the station. The Japanese occupied the station buildings which were later bombarded by the Allies. After the Second World War, the British Borneo Civil Administration Unit collected all homeless people suffering from tuberculosis and accommodated them in the Experimental Stations in improvised huts. Very few of the earlier plantations survived into the post-war period.

History of Sibuga Forest Reserve

Historical facts of the War Memorial, Sibuga Forest Reserve

Forest Reserve signboard

In 1947, the Conservator of Forests and the Director of Agriculture agreed that the area could be constituted as a forest reserve. Thus, 2 years later, it was gazetted as Sibuga Forest Reserve (FR) with about 107 hectares.

1947-1957No plantings in Sibuga FR were undertaken until 1952 when the Forestry Department began its research on potential tree plantation species there. In that same year, about 61.5 hectares were excised for a cattle farm. In 1953, a nursery and an arboretum were established in the lalang-infested area with 559 trees of 57 species. A ranger quarters was also built. Two old quarters were completely reconditioned; one was converted to a forestry school and the other to a dormitory. Soon after, a grass fire swept through the FR and destroyed the new arboretum. It was later replanted with dipterocarp wildlings collected from Mile 18. However, by the end of 1955, 6 of these plots were

Old chimney of pre-war days and planted indigenous trees, mainly kapur, since the 1950s'

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abandoned due to poor establishment, poor site suitability or snail damage. The species planted included many Shorea spp., kapur and keruing. Other species included merbau, laran, binuang, balsa, Acacia auriculiformis and Podocarpus sp. from Semporna (probably from Selangan and Pababag Islands). During 1956 and 1957, no planting was undertaken. Trials for both exotic and indigenous tree species were implemented

between 1947 and 1976. From 1955 to 1969, almost 40 species of trees were planted in the FR. Data collection is on-going for growth rates and yield potentials. Altogether there were about 35 species of trees planted in the FR.

1958-1967From 1958 onwards, the Department emphasised planting fast-growing, exotic species like Pinus caribaea and Araucaria cunninghamii. The tree plantations were maintained and enlarged, and the general pattern for planting, management and records was established. The nursery supplied plants for other trial plots like those in Tawau and the West Coast. As it became difficult to find good land at Sibuga, planting was transferred to Gum Gum FR in 1965. Planting virtually ceased at Sibuga since 1967. Some plantings were conducted in the 1970s but there were not as intense as before. The forest training school was moved to Sepilok next to the Forest Research Centre (Mile 14) in the early 1970s. 1968-todayThere was very minimal tree plantation research conducted in Sibuga FR as the Department concentrated efforts in nearby Gum Gum FR (Mile 16, Labuk Road). Although some plantings were conducted in the 1970s and 1980s, the space for plantation trials had decreased due to the development of Taman Rimba and the recreational park called Taman Sandakan. In 1971, 1975, 1977 and 1980, Sibuga FR went through partial dereservations, leaving 23.4 hectares. In February 1984, a further 12.2 hectares were

(Left) Towering kapur trees - about 50 years old and (above) other dipterocarps

The War Museum erected by the Australian Govenment; (right top) the displays inside the museum; and (right above) A model of the prisoner of war camp at Sibuga Forest Reserve, during World War Two

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History of Sibuga FR

Ficus strangling an old oil palm tree can be found along the (right) jogging trail. The oil palm is a relic from the abandoned agricultural station from pre-war days.

excised for the second phase of Taman Rimba. A month later, it was regazetted as Sibuga Forest Reserve, Class IV with 11 hectares. In 1986, the Department collaborated with the Rotary Club to build recreational facilities in the park (e.g. walkways, picnic tables, fitness stations, jogging tracks and a small sundry shop). In 2000, it was further excised for the Taman Sri Rimba housing project and the current area of 11 hectares was left. At the same time, the Australian Government developed a war museum at the eastern portion of the reserve in 1999, in memory of the POWs, mostly Australians, from which the infamous death marches started. Today, the Plantation Section is still monitoring the residual trees stand for vital growth information.

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Datuk Harvey Siddek Martyn, who passed away on 28th

September 2009, will always be remembered as the first Malaysian and native Conservator of Forests.

Harvey, the foresterBorn on 19th September 1919, Datuk Harvey was still a very young man of almost 18 years old when he left home and joined the Forestry Department on 30th April 1937 as a forest guard. His aptitude and interest in forestry was easily noticed when just a year later, he won the Cubitt Prize (First Prize) at the Forest School in Kepong, Malaya. During the Japanese Occupation (1942—1945), the department was under the control of the Japanese. Being of British nationality, both Harry George Keith and George Stewart Brown (Conservator and Assistant Conservator of Forests respectively) were interned at Berhala Island and later at Kuching. Datuk Harvey, as a local, was assigned to teach the villagers at Kg. Sukau (Kinabatangan) to plant tapioca as a food crop. After World War II ended, at the instructions of the British Military Administration, Deputy Assistant Conservator of Forests Jose Agama reorganised the Forestry Department. Datuk Harvey was one of the department’s 16 staff members as of the 1st January 1946. Jose and his team did a very good job that, by the time George Brown and Harry Keith returned (8th May and 13th June 1946 respectively), the department was already operational. (For his courageous acts during WWII, Jose Agama was awarded the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct on 7th August 1947.) In the years that followed, the Commonwealth countries aimed to strengthen the economic and social development of its member countries in the Asia-Pacific Region with the formation of the Colombo Plan in 1950. The primary focus of all Colombo Plan activities was on human resources development. Thus, under a Colombo Plan scholarship, Datuk Harvey was sent to the Australian Forestry School, Canberra in 1955 for a 3-year course. In 1959, he was again sent to Kepong for a year of training. He was then Assistant Conservator of Forests. After years of training, experience and serving in various capacities in the department, he was appointed Conservator of Forests on 22nd May 1969, the first native to be given the responsibility. In an interview (SFD Annual Report 2006), he recollected that his journey as a Conservator was “a long journey and it became very complex. Collecting royalty and

monitoring of logging activities were the main duties of the department, not forest management”. This is evident from the very high percentage of the State revenue that came from forest revenue from 1969 to 1979, the year Datuk Harvey retired. In that year, forest revenue reached RM1.1 billion.

In Remembrance: Datuk Harvey Siddek Martyn

Datuk Harvey Siddek Martyn taken in 2005

Datuk Harvey receiving his award, which carries the title ‘Datuk’, from the Governor of Sabah (possibly at the Kota Kinabalu Community Centre).

Datuk Harvey (5th from left) poses with friends who had just received their awards from the Governor

Harvey, the fatherDatuk Harvey married Datin Hajah Dalima Bt Lamat in 1943 during the Japanese Occupation. They both had 5 children—Hasnah, Hamidah, Husani, Hamimah and Hanafiah. “He was a workaholic”, Hajah Hasnah reminisced, “always out-stationed. We kept moving from school to school as he got transferred to various districts. However, he was also a very loving father and he always made time for our family whenever he can, especially on school holidays.” She recalled that they only truly settled down in Sandakan when he was appointed Conservator of Forests in 1969. They first stayed nearby Batu 2 until they moved to Taman Rimba (Phase 1) years later where they stayed until Datuk Harvey retired. Soon after, his family moved to their home at Sembulan near the RTM building which was built in 1960.

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In Remembrance: Datuk Harvey Siddek Martyn

Throughout his life, Datuk Harvey performed his fatherly duties and responsibilities as well as he could and he was obviously loved by his 5 children. This was evident from the tears that Hajah Hasnah shed while reminiscing the good old days. There were times that his children missed him so much when he went for long trainings but he always made up for those lost times. Although he sometimes stumbled along his journey of fatherhood due to pressure at work and other reasons, Hajah Hasnah knew that her father had always done his best for his children.

Harvey, the tireless workerBeing a person whose work was his passion, Datuk Harvey continued to work after retirement from the Sabah Forestry Department on 31st December 1979. He was appointed General Manager for SAFODA from 1980 to 1983. Later, he became General Manager for JEROCO Plantations (Hap Seng Sdn. Bhd.) from 1983 to 1986. It was only just a couple of years ago that he truly retired after he resigned as one of the Board of Directors for Malaysian Mosaic Bhd. (Hap Seng Sdn. Bhd.). He was then in his very late 80s. Hajah Hasnah

said that he decided to retire due to his asthmatic condition, walking difficulties and the use of a pacemaker. “If he isn’t working,” Hajah Hasnah remembered, “my dear father would be gardening. He loved to spend his leisure time in his garden and he used to spend long hours tending his plants. He only stopped when it took him too much effort due to his walking difficulties.” Even so, Datuk Harvey continued to spend his time sitting on his chair in the garden, reading about whatever that interested him. “His deep passion for reading did not diminish with his age. As far as I can remember, he was always reading something,” prided Hajah Hasnah. Datuk Harvey celebrated his 90th birthday with his family at his home in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu. Less than 2 weeks later, he passed away on 28th September 2009. He left behind his wife, Hajah Julia Abdullah (second marriage), 5 children and 13 grandchildren. He had truly lived life to the fullest, right to the very end.(The Sabah Forestry Department thanks Hajah Hasnah HS Martyn for the interview and the use of her family pictures.)

A department staff giving Hajah Hasnah HS Martyn and her son, Firdaus Suffian (R), a copy of the SFD Annual Report 2008 as a token of appreciation for granting an interview. Hajah Hasnah also prepared a heavy breakfast for the interviewer and his colleagues

Martyn stands next to Prince Philip during his tour of Sandakan on 2nd March 1959

The Conservator of Forest and his team of Senior Officers in 1979 during a Senior Forest Officers Conference

Documents

Sapulut Forest Development