Joint project to expand Pulong Tau National Park by 24,000ha

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/28/sarawak/6533988&sec=sarawak

Monday June 28, 2010

Joint project to expand Pulong Tau National Park by 24,000ha

By VANES DEVINDRAN
vanes@thestar.com.my Photo courtesy of ITTO


A NURSERY is being set up at Pulong Tau National Park as part of a rehabilitation project for the park’s expansion.

Dr Paul Chai, a project manager with International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), said a joint rehabilitation project between ITTO, the Forest Department and Samling Timber was being initiated to rehabilitate a degraded area for the park’s expansion.

“The area had been cleared by the timber company for road construction, log landings and other purposes, so our intention is to replant the area.

“We are building a nursery and two field camps for our people to use. Once this is ready, they can move in to collect seedlings,” he said.

Dr Chai said his team would need to consult the timber company and locals to identify the species suitable for planting on the degraded area and have economic value, like fruit trees.

“The soil at degraded sites is compact due to constant use by lorries and tractors, and most of the top soil has been washed away, so we cannot just dig and plant,” he said.

The expansion was a pilot project as joint activities involving timber companies had never been attempted, he added.

The first phase would see the 60,000ha national park being increased by 24,000ha and encompass a prominent feature of the highlands, the twin peaks of Batu Lawi, he said.

The expansion was part of the state efforts in sustainable preservation of its flora and fauna, he added.

Dr Chai said, from the conservation point of view, the bigger the national park, the better, and in this case, Batu Lawi was said to be rich in flora and fauna.

Batu Lawi had social significance for the Lun Bawang and Kelabit people, given its unique landscape, he added.

“At one time, when the Alliance fought the Japanese army, the twin peaks were used as a landmark,” he said.

The area contained endemic species of orchids, pitcher plants and the oriolus hosei bird species, he said.

“It is the third location in Sarawak where this bird has been sighted. It is rare and endemic to the state,” he said.

In addition, he said a zoologist attached to a local university had identified three new species of frogs on Mount Murud.

ITTO research had shown that the dominant trees in the area were oaks, laurals, cinnamon and myrtles.

There are 16 species of mammals from 10 families, five of which are endemic to Borneo.

There are also 69 species birds from 29 families, nine of which are endemic.