Sabah’s Deramakot Forest Reserve longest-certified tropical forest under FSC

 

Deramakot Forest Reserve is a natural reserve in Sandakan, covering 55,507ha of lowland mixed dipterocarp forest.

PETALING JAYA: The Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sandakan, Sabah, has gained the distinction of being the longest-certified tropical forest in the world under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Certified since 1997, the forest will remain so for another five years until March 20, 2029 after its fifth cycle of certification.

In a report by the Borneo Post, Sabah forestry department chief conservator Frederick Kugan praised all the officers involved for maintaining the world standard in Deramakot’s management.

Deramakot is a natural reserve, covering 55,507ha of lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in east central Sabah.

It became the first model of a well-managed forest under the international FSC scheme in 1997, after the Sabah government initiated efforts to promote sustainable forest management (SFM) practices in 1989.

The state’s conservation efforts have received commendations and approval from various NGOs as well as researchers, both locally and internationally.

Deramakot’s certification was a pivotal milestone that led to the extension of forest management certification to other forest management units, including SFM licensee-managed forest plantation areas.

A total of 280,616ha of natural forests and forest plantations have been certified under the FSC and Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme. - FMT