PT Erna Djuliawati and TFF play host to a delegation of South Pacific foresters…

For the second year in a row, the Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeitung (GIZ) and the TFF have collaborated to bring high level representatives from the South Pacific island nations to Indonesia for a study tour designed to showcase reduced impact logging and certification.

Fourteen delegates from GIZ-Fiji, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea were treated to Indonesian hospitality in the Central Kalimantan timber concession of PT Erna Djuliawati.

The study tour began with a one day workshop in Jakarta where participants were given a basic orientation in the concept of Reduced Impact Logging, Indonesian forestry regulation, and the achievement of sustainable forest management. This was also the first opportunity for the participants to meet the representative of PT Erna Djuliawati who was to be their host for the next few days.

The tour then proceeded to Pontianak and a quick visit to the industrial complex of PT Sari Bumi Kusuma before travelling by air and land to the border of Central Kalimantan and into the Central Kalimantan concession of PT Erna Djuliawati.

Visiting a company run school.

For the next three days, participants were able to see the many faceted aspects of sustainable forest management in one of Indonesia’s leading concessions. Participants toured community development projects, a company run school and medical facilities, and a machine shop that is unrivaled in the forest industry.

Visiting an HCV site and silvicultural operations.

In forest management, the participants were able to view the planning and operational aspects of RIL in a routine working environment. PT Erna’s experimentation in species and progeny trials and the company’s efforts at protecting high conservation values were particularly impressive for participants coming from countries where raw exploitation is still the only form of forest management.

Visiting an HCV site and silvicultural operations.

Erna’s implementation of enrichment planting was the final coupe to an impressive tour of a company that continues to be an Indonesian leader in sustainable forest management.

PT Erna Djuliawati is a 184,206 concession in Central Kalimantan with it’s industry located in Sanggau, West Kalimantan. PT Erna has long been a recipient of TFF training in RIL and in 2005, it was one of the first Indonesian concessions to achieve FSC certification.

With a ceremonial tree planting, all participants were given the opportunity to leave there mark.

After the enjoyable and informative study tour, participants reflected in a wrap-up workshop in Jakarta, on how far their respective counties still have to go to achieve the sustainability and proactive forest management which was so abundantly clear during the study tour of PT Erna Djuliawati.

TFF and GIZ extend an expression of deep appreciation for the generosity, hospitality, and professionalism demonstrated by the management and staff of PT Erna Djuliawati. Truly this will be a study tour that the participants from the South Pacific will never forget. PT Erna can rightfully be proud of being such an outstanding Indonesian ambassador of sustainable forest management.