KULIM: The Kedah Forestry Department has confirmed that logging activities planned for a 500-hectare area within the Gunung Bongsu Forest Reserve have received approval based on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report approved in 2021.
In a statement released yesterday, the department stated that the project, which encompasses compartments 15, 42, and 43 of the forest reserve, received EIA approval from the Department of Environment (DoE) on June 25, 2021.
Additionally, the department noted that during a Permanent Committee on Natural Revenues meeting held on December 14, 2014, an application for the development of a forest plantation at the site was approved for Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
However, the department clarified that logging activities have not yet commenced in the area.
“This delay is due to the ongoing process of preparing the forest plantation management plan,” the statement read. “The state Forestry Department has also not issued logging permits for this area.”
The department assured that it will work with other technical agencies to monitor the area if development proceeds in the future.
“To ensure minimal environmental impact on residents, the area will undergo phased logging. The developer must complete phase one logging and fully replant the area before moving on to the next phase,” the statement explained.
On June 2, a group of 25 residents and environmental activists, led by Kulim PKR division chief Awang Teh, called on the Kedah government to halt alleged logging activities in the Gunung Bongsu Forest Reserve.
Awang expressed concerns over potential ecological disasters similar to those experienced in Iboi, Baling, where a logging project caused significant environmental damage.
Awang emphasized that the logging project in the Gunung Bongsu Forest Reserve could negatively impact the surrounding area, which includes numerous villages and the Air Putih Waterfall recreational park.
He also questioned the EIA report approved in 2021, arguing that it might not have fully considered the impact on the densely populated surrounding community.
Consequently, Awang urged authorities to review the EIA report and take into account the views and concerns of local residents.
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