HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FOREST (HCVF)

MANAGEMENT PLAN MONITORING

PUBLIC SUMMARY FOR

HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FOREST IN GAAT-MENGIONG FMU

 

As part of the forest management certification process, Gaat-Mengiong FMU had to identify High Conservation Value sites as to provide management and monitoring recommendations to ensure that the forestry activities do not negatively impact HCVs attributes that were present. Table below show summary of Status categories of HCVF within Gaat-Mengiong FMU in year 2019 until 2023 after monitoring conducted.

 

Table 1: Status categories of HCVF within Gaat-Mengiong FMU in year 2019-2023

 

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

 

After HCVs was identify in Gaat-Mengiong Forest Management Unit. A further step has been conducted including demarcation and monitoring of conservation areas (HCV 1.4, HCV 4, HCV 5 and HCV 6). Based on the result of management and monitoring of 2023, there is no adjustment on the management and monitoring recommendation. Other than that, HCV status 2023 has remained the same as in 2019 except for HCV 4.1 where there is misconception regarding the watershed protection. Gravity feed that has been categorize as HCV 4.1 has been placed in HCV 5 where the gravity feed water is a basic need of local community and has not been gazetted.

The demarcation of the conservation areas was done by clear demarcate of the boundaries on maps that used for harvesting planning and clear and easily identifiable marking on trees/ landmarks on the ground.

The monitoring of the conservation area was carried out with the objective to ensuring that there is no encroachment into these areas. The monitoring for the conservation area was done by -

§  Planner will ensure area to be harvested does not fall within conservation areas during the pre-harvesting planning.

§  Periodic monitoring shall be conducted for the coupes under harvesting to ensure no harvesting is done in designated conservation areas within the coupe.

§  Patrolling of forest area to control from any hunting, fishing, trapping, collecting activity and other unauthorized activity prohibited in the FMU

§  Wildlife Monitoring to continuously monitor species present inside Gaat-Mengiong FMU especially ERT (Endangered, rare and threatened species) and Endemic species.

§  Annual monitoring and record any sign of encroachment at HCVF area. The data and record are kept and made available in yearly report.

 

Other than that, education and preventive measures will be conducted to employees, contractors and local community within the FMU area and also educated on the location of the conservation areas, the purpose of conservation and what can or cannot be done in the conservation areas.

Posters of Totally protected and protected flora and fauna has been distributed and all HCVs location was mapped to ensure non-encroachment of the conservation area.

Contractors will be notified of the requirements at the signing of the contract which will also stipulate the requirement to adhere to the safe keeping of environmental conservation areas in the contract’s terms and conditions.

A proper chain of custody shall be established so that a proper reporting system will be in place to ensure non-encroachment of the protection area

Updated on May 2024