PUBLIC SUMMARY OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FOREST (HCVF) IN GAAT-MENGIONG FMU

As part of the forest management certification process, Gaat-Mengiong FMU is required to identify High Conservation Value (HCV) areas and implement appropriate management and monitoring measures to ensure that forest management activities do not adversely affect the identified HCV attributes. The table below presents a summary of the HCV status categories identified within Gaat-Mengiong FMU from 2019 to 2025.

CATEGORY		2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
HCV 1 Biodiversity value	1.1.Protected Area	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
	1.2 Threatened and Endangered Species	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
	1.3 Endemism	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
	1.4. Critical temporal use	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
HCV 2 Landscape level		Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
HCV 3 Ecosystem		Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
HCV 4 Service of Nature	4.1 Watershed protection	Present	Present	Present	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
	4.2 Erosion Control	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
	4.3 Barrier to destructive fire	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
HCV 5 Basic Need of Local Communities		Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
HCV 6 Cultural Identity of local community		Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present

Table 1: Status Categories of High Conservation Value (HCV) Areas within Gaat-Mengiong FMU ( 2019 - 2025 )

Following the identification of High Conservation Values (HCVs) within Gaat-Mengiong Forest Management Unit (FMU), the corresponding HCV areas (HCV 1.4, HCV 4, HCV 5, and HCV 6) were demarcated and monitored to support their management and protection. The demarcation of conservation areas was carried out through clear identification of boundaries on maps used for harvesting planning, as well as clear and easily identifiable markings on trees or landmarks on the ground.

Based on the 2025 management and monitoring results, no changes to the existing management and monitoring recommendations were required. The monitoring results further confirmed that no encroachment was observed within the community's shifting agricultural areas (SA), water catchment areas, or burial sites (HCV 5 and HCV 6). The HCV status in 2025 remained the same as in 2019, except for HCV 4.1. The gravity-fed water supply previously categorized under HCV 4.1 was reclassified under HCV 5 as it serves as a basic need for the local community and has not been gazetted as a watershed protection area.

Monitoring of the conservation areas was carried out to ensure that no encroachment or unauthorized activities occurred within the designated areas. The monitoring activities conducted include:

• Verification during pre-harvesting planning to ensure that proposed harvesting areas do not overlap with the designated conservation areas.
• Periodic monitoring of harvesting coupes to ensure that harvesting activities are not carried out within designated conservation areas.
• Forest patrolling to control and prevent hunting, fishing, trapping, collecting forest resources activities, and other unauthorized activities within the FMU.
• Wildlife monitoring to continuously monitor species present within Gaat-Mengiong FMU, particularly Endangered, Rare, and Threatened (ERT) species and endemic species. 
• Annual monitoring of HCV areas to identify and record any signs of encroachment. All monitoring data and records are maintained and documented in the annual report. 

In addition to monitoring activities, education and preventive measures were carried out for employees, contractors, and local communities within the FMU area. These initiatives included providing awareness on the location of conservation areas, the purpose of conservation, and the activities that are permitted or prohibited within these areas.

Contractors were informed of the relevant requirements during the contract signing process, where adherence to the protection and proper management of environmental conservation areas is included in the contract terms and conditions.

Posters on wildlife species conservation were distributed to employees, contractors, and local communities while HCV locations were mapped to support conservation awareness and prevent encroachment into designated conservation areas. 

                    

Figure 1, 2 & 3: Posters for Flora and Fauna Conservation

 

       

Figure 4: High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) Map