Shin Yang Groups of Companies - NIBONG Forest Management Unit (T-3432)

SHIN YANG SDN BHD (97865-T)

Nibong Forest Management Unit (T-3432)

Public Summary

Map of Locality :

Background

The Nibong FMU T/3432 was granted a forest logging re-entry / harvesting license for Coupe Area T/3432 by the State Government through the Forestry Department of Sarawak (FDS), Kuching, on 09 July 2004 and managed by Shin Yang Sdn. Bhd. commencing from 29 July 2004 to 28 July 2019 with a total gross area of approximately 54,143.0 hectares (ha’s). The total area has been divided into 25 coupes with sizes ranging 1,532.0 ha to 3,562.0 ha and the cutting cycle will be 25 years per cycle. The operable area is approximately 46,370.0 ha(s).
Physical Features

Nibong FMU is partly located within the Bahau Forest and partly within the Balui Forest, while the entire area of the Nibong FMU is within the Balui Statement Forest. Nibong FMU is logged-over forest and its forest condition is mixed dipterocarp forests, which may be categorized into Low land Mixed- Dipterocarp Forests and Hill Mixed- Dipterocarp Forests for the area above the 300 m a.s.1It is estimated that up to 90% of the area comprises moderate to fairly steep terrain with slopes predominantly in the 5-35° range (Terrain Classes II and III). The remaining 10% of flatter areas with slope of less than 5° (Terrain Class I) are found mainly along the areas bordering Batang Balui and their tributes.
Boundaries

The Nibong FMU T-3432 is outside of HOB boundary. The Nibong FMU are covered partly of Balui Protected Forest area (29,969 ha - 55.35%) , Bahau Protected Forest Area (12,301 ha - 22.72%) and Balui Stateland Forest (11,873 ha- 21.93%).
Related to HoBs and Land Status

The Nibong FMU T-3432 is outside of HOB boundary.
The Nibong FMU are covered partly of Balui Protected Forest area (29,969 ha - 55.35%) and Bahau Protected Forest Area (11,873 ha - 21.93%).
Forest Condition Function Zoning
1. Protected zone
1. The protection is more related to the HCVs/ HCVF attributes ;
2. Area of over 35^o slope (Terrain IV) ;
3. Watershed protection or the conservation of plant and wildlife habitat will be designated as protected zone;
4. Water Catchment at Coupe 23
5. 3 Salt Licks and 1 pig wallow ;
6. Shifting Agriculture & burial site of 3 Communities, Uma Lesong Naha Nyabong, Uma Kulit Long Jawe & Uma Sang Anau Long Bulan;
7. The protection area within summed up as 3,682 ha which covered 6.9% of the Nibong FMU area.
8. The conservation area within summed up as 2,613 ha which covered 4.8% of the Nibong FMU area.
1. Production area
1. The estimate area permitted for timber production uses is approximately 46,370.0 ha (85.6% of the total area).
1. Community Area
1. FMU is free from any gazette NCR lands;
2. Through the consultation with the communities, about 1,478.0 ha(s) are utilized by the local communities which has been preserved for shifting cultivation (SA), this area will be preserved for extraction of fire woods and non-timber forest product (e.g. rattan lentik, rattan segak & bamboo, etc) for own use and hunting for food dependence; and
3. There is 1 burial ground within the Nibong FMU inside the conservation area which belongs to Uma Kulit Long Jawe. The other communities burial sites are outside the FMU [MC&I 8.2 e]
Management Objectives
1. Nibong FMU T-3432 is to have a multiple-use forest for economic, social and environmental purposes, while ensuring that the productive capacity of the forests for both goods and services is maintained and/or enhanced;
2. To sustain production and revenue of high value timber based on an annual allowable cut;
3. To monitor the growth through Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) and ensure rate of harvest shall not greater than estimated regrowth of the residual stand;
4. To ensure the actual harvesting area is not more than the Annual Harvesting Coupe or Annual Cutting Area (ACA) as calculated based on Net Harvestable Production Area divided by
  Cutting Cycle (ha/ yr. )= 1,854.8 ha
5. To carry out appropriate treatment during the plan period, in areas where potential commercial species are present for the purpose of regeneration and enhancement of their growth performance to ensure sustainability in future cycle;
6. To ensure the availability of DF circular 6/99 and should be strictly complied;
7. To adhere strictly to Reduce Impact Logging during harvesting ;
8. To protect areas of scenic, historic, geological or ecological significance through the establishment of HCVF demarcation at the FMU that will be remained undisturbed/ buffered;
9. Evaluation to the impacts of harvesting activities to the stakeholders e.g. workers and local community within the FMU area through comprehensive SIA;
10. To provide a safety environment to the staffs as well as their family ; &
11. To respect the right of the local community and workers.
Forest Resources & Forest Research
1. FMU is a mixed-Dipterocarp forest (MDF).
2. FMU consists trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae, an important source of timber e.g. Meranti (Shorea spp.), Selangan Batu (Shorea spp.), Keruing (Dipterocarpus spp.), Kapur (Dryobalanops spp.), Resak (Vatica spp.) and Luis (Hopea spp)
3. Ensurai (Dipterocarpus oblongifolius) is the only Totally Protected Plants.
There are five (5) Protected Plants and License is required to cut, collect or remove it. Another four (4) species in Table C2-1 are not protected under WLPO 1998 but threatened plant categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species global, Sarawak Plant Red List and other published sources.

Protected species found in Nibong FMU T3432
1. Timber stock as recorded from the forest research (30cm dbh and above) is averaged at 68.46m³/ha with 30cm- 40cm (46.1%),41cm -60cm (33.9%) and 60 cm above (20%). [MC&I 8.2a]
2. Non-timber product such as rattan, bamboo, palm and wild vegetable and fruits are still available at the FMU and
3. A total 97 species of fauna are recorded throughout the assessment period which include twenty-seven (27) mammals, sixty-seven (67) aves, two (2) reptiles and one (insecta) A total of twenty- two (22) mammals, nineteen (19) aves, two (2) reptiles and one (1) insect are Endangered, Rare and Threatened (ERT) species found within Nibong FMU [MC&I 8.2b]
Yield Regulation
1. The diameter-limit cutting are ≥ 50 cm dbh and above for Dipterocarp species AND ≥ 45cm for non-Dipterocarp species and to ensure that all species listed as Totally Protected under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 would not be felled;
2. The Nibong FMU involves the selective, re-entry timber harvesting of all hill forest in accordance with the term and conditions of the FTL No. T-3432 issued by FDS;
3. The area will be worked over a period of 25 years in one cutting cycle;
4. Coupe Sequences justification of forest research , forest manager has elected the West part of the Nibong FMU to be the initial coupe of this cutting cycle and the cutting sequence will gradually move to the middle part of the FMU and lastly to the North-eastern part.
Rate of Annual Harvest
1. The average of harvestable yields within the research psps is 36.91m³ ha^-1, derived from high density and low density of productivity areas (fair representative of PSPs.
2. Economy cut is initially set at 16.2 m³ha^-1 is , then it will be initially set as net volumes for verifying the AAC;
3. Allowable Cutting Area (ACA) in ha(s) = 1,854.8 ha; AND
4. Annual Allowable Cut is 30,047.76 m3 or 2,503.9 m3 per month of production limit for the initial planning of this FMP.
Harvesting Techniques
1. Nibong FMU involves the selective cutting, re-entry timber harvesting of all hill forest in accordance with the term and conditions of the FTL No. T/3432;
2. The FMU is also practicing the Reduced impact logging (RIL) for ground based harvesting system using modified excavator with winch are used to minimize impact to the residual stand and to the soil and water value. The FMU is to ensure that the proper planning of roads and harvesting operation is of utmost importance in pre-harvesting stage;
3. The well-planned and constructed road network will enable forest harvesting operation in Nibong FMU area to be carried out in a proper and economical way during the whole duration of the licence and results in long term economic benefits for the licensee.
4. The RILs systems adopted by FMU practicing the Reduced impact logging (RIL) which involves pre-harvesting, harvesting and post harvesting planning and related activities.
5. The Monitoring and Control within the FMU during the pre-harvesting, harvesting and post harvesting is executed by Forestry Agency and FMU management team will follow the guidelines of pre-felling and post harvesting activities, quarterly EMR monitoring and SIA monitoring.
Forest Growth
1. The FMU adopted into the monitoring forest growth on ;
2. Individual tree increment or growth in terms of volumes / basal (Is) ;
3. Mortality (M) , or the death of trees ; a
4. Ingrowth I, or the appearance of new trees in measurable size classes from regeneration; and
5. Simulation module adopted by FMU is I = Is – M + R.
6. Average Basal Area for the 1^st Assessment for 10 research plots is 6.701 m²ha^-1 .
7. For the 1^st FMP, MAI is defined base on the literature study and the FMU will continue monitor growth with interval 5 years during the revise of the FMP.
Environmental Assessment & Quality Monitoring
1. The EIA of Nibong FMU (T-3432) under terms and approval condition of approval in accordance with the provisions of Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance 1993(Cap.84-Laws of Sarawak) and Natural Resources & Environment (Prescribed Activities) Order, 1994, has been approved by the controller of Environment Quality Sarawak (EQS) on 24th February 2009 (ref no:15 NREB/6-3/2F/34) ;
2. The FMU is conducting quarterly Environmental Monitoring Report (EMR) to monitor the status of General Terms & Conditions and mitigations as required in the approved EIA report; and EQM of Nibong FMU is corporate into quarterly EMR ;
  1. To establish environmental baseline and trend;
  2. To inform policy design and decision making and
  3. To ensure compliance with environmental regulation.
3. TThe environmental baseline of water quality of Nibong FMU is Compliance Limits are benchmarked at Class IIB of the National Water Quality Standards of Malaysia (NWQSM). [MC&I 8.2c]
1. Due to the changes of the total area at Nibong FMU T3432, Nibong FMU conducted an EMP accordance to an approval by Natural Resources and Environmental Board of Sarawak on ^24th June 2020 (ref: (28) NREB/6-3/2F/34) and the TOR has been approved on 2^nd November 2020 by NREB.
2. EMP has been submitted to NREB and under review of NREB. /p>
High Conservation Values(s)
1. Six major (6) values listed in the HCVF Malaysia Toolkit (2009) are present in FMU. A significant number of HCV biodiversity species are present in the study area and its surroundings.
2. (HCV 1.2) A total 97 species of fauna are recorded throughout the assessment period which include twenty-seven (27) mammals,
3. Sixty-seven (67) aves, two (2) reptiles and one (insect)
4. A total of twenty- two (22) mammals, nineteen (19) aves, two (2) reptiles and one (1) insect are Endangered, Rare and Threatened (ERT) species found within Nibong.
5. A total 18 species of flora are recorded throughout the assessment period (HCV 1.3)
6. Areas for critical temporal use were also identified to be present (HCV 1.4).
7. The area is an important linkage between other larger forest landscape complexes as it is surrounded by other logging concession, Totally Protected Areas and Forest Management Unit (HCV 2).
8. TThe dipterocarp species may become less and the forest area should be given priority for conserve the mother trees of Dipterocarp Species and Riparian forest can be seen along the river and streams. Ensurai trees (Dipterocarpus Oblongifolius) growing along the main rivers of Sg. Bahau. In Sarawak, Ensurai is a totally protected species (HCV 3).
9. Nibong FMU is located in connection to Bakun catchment and under Sarawak integrated Water Resources Management Plan, Bakun Catchment proposed as P3 for water catchment priority. Nibong FMU is located within Belaga, comprised of uneven undulating terrain and slopes, mainly hilly reas and certain area with high elevation mountains ranges. Along the major rivers and streams, riparian or alluvial forest can be found (HCV 4.1). /p>
10. River buffer prohibiting logging operations is required for service of nature (HCV 4.2), and the size of the buffer depends on the size of the river or stream, in order to control soil erosion.
11. Result of the assessment for social and cultural values suggested HCV 5 is present as the communities within or adjacent to the FMU depends on hunting, fishing and collecting jungle produce.
12. HHCV 6 is present as one (1) burial ground found within the Nibong FMU.
13. Demarcation of Pig Wallow and 3 saltlicks had been established and monitoring;
14. Patrolling and monitoring on the HCV will be conducted in the interval once a year by the monitoring crew through the designed internal audit to check the boundary & encroachment AND also the wildlife monitoring through Camera Trap and Transect trails monitoring. [MC&I 9.3.2]
Protection of Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species.
1. FMU will continual monitor and observe changes in Flora and Fauna ,especially ERT Species by;
Socio Economic Condition
1. Settlements identified within and in the vicinity of the FMU is Uma Lesong Naha Nyabong was located inside the FMU, while Uma Kulit Long Jawe and Uma Sang Anau Long Bulan are located outside the FMU area;
2. The communities living here are Kenyah and Kayan encompass a total of 128 doors with a population of 651 people, averaging 5-6 persons per door;
3. A “Sustainable Forest Management Liaison Committee” has been established with numbers consisting of FMU (FMURC-Forest Management Unit Representative Committee) & (CRC-Community Representative Committee) ; and
4. There is no legal case filed by any local community against FMU.
Safety & Health
1. As forestry work even within a single FMU especially the physical features of mountain forest is widely scattered with frequent changing work sites. The FMU’s supervision and control of forest workers at the FMU sites are highly enforced by FMU management team to ensure occupation safety demand great effort by all levels of management and self-reliance of the workers.
2. The FMU has committed to ensure safety at working place through the safety policy written and signed by the General Manager on 14/03/2017. The FMU collaborates closely with STIDC, FDS and Sarawak Timber Association (STA) in their design and implementation of training programs for job specific skills, health and safety and venue of vocational training in the field of forestry and forestry industry
Social Impact Assessment

The SIA has covered introduction of affected communities or organization mentioned further in introduction, the identification of social impacts of affected communities/organization, proposed mitigation and enhancement measures and monitoring process to ensure the FMU is earning benefits while having the continuous relationship with the communities within the FMP. Additionally, monitoring and enhancement measures will be done once a year by collaboration of SYSB SIA practitioner monitoring members and SYSB surveyor team. As for the conclusion part of SIA, the overall satisfaction of the communities to the FMU is fair. However, the FMU has to continuous monitoring the satisfaction of the communities through the compliance monitoring and parameter monitoring [MC&I 8.2b].
Forest Fire Management Plan

Forest fire represent one of the greatest threat to the environment and natural species. Shin Yang Sdn Bhd has taken an aggressive approach towards the protection of its forest management unit from forest fire. MC&I (SFM) has also outlined the requirement of fire prevention and control plan to be prepared and implemented under MC&I (SFM) indicator 6.5.5.

Despite the geological condition of Nibong FMU has greatly reduced the risk of forest fire by grating high annual mean of rainfall, many rivers as natural fire barrier, high humidity and cool climate within Nibong FMU most of the time around the year, Shin Yang Sdn Bhd has never ignore the threat of forest fire. Thus, Shin Yang Sdn Bhd developed preventive measures and mitigation measures as to ensure lowest possibility and lowest impact of forest fire towards ecological, economical and Social.

Forest Fire Management Team has been formed by several group of workers to specifically deal with Forest Fire if it happens. The structure of the team is designed with Incident Commander (Fire Manager), Emergency Reporting, 3 team of fire suppression team and logistic team as shown below:

Each team member plays significant role in such emergency.
Budget Allocation

IIn order to achieve the forest management certification, the management of Nibong FMU has planned and allocated total operations cost amounting RM 70,837,583 (estimation) for the Forest Management Certification for the period 2021 -2025 (5 years planning). [MC & I 8.2 d]