Page 2 - FDS Annual Report 2012
P. 2
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
II FOREST DEPARTMENT SARAWAK
SPECIAL FEATURES
THE HISTORY OF FOREST DEPARTMENT SARAWAK
Forest Department Sarawak was established in 1919 with J.P. Mead as the first Conservator of
Forests, followed by D.E. Calver (1929-1933) and Thomas Corson (1934-1946). Back then, the main
objectives of the Department were to manage and conserve the State’s forest resources. Upon his
installment as the first Conservator of Forests, J.P. Mead drafted a code of rules, which was gazetted
as the Forest Rules 1919 and came into effect in 1920 under Forest Reservation Order to deal with
the taking of forest produce, royalties, penalties and such. The Department concentrated on
exploration and demarcation of forests suitable for reservation. The first constituted reserve was the
Semengoh Forest Reserve in 1921.
During the Japanese occupation in 1941, the operations of the Department were interrupted for six
years until the Department was reestablished in April 1946. Thereafter, the Department concentrated
on the work of organization and rehabilitation of the deterioration caused.
The Forests Ordinance came into force on 1 January 1954 while the National Parks Ordinance was
enacted on 16 February 1956, followed by the Wild Life Protection Ordinance in 1958. The
constitution of permanent forests in the decade after 1950 was speeded up by aerial photographs
taken by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1947 onwards, making it possible to pick out suitable areas
instead of having laborious and slow ground explorations. A five-year plan (1961-1965) was approved
by the government in 1960 to continue with the constitution of permanent forests in the State.
For staff training, a forest school was started in Kuching in 1950. This school was moved to
Semengoh Forest Reserve in 1960. The annual training took place under the supervision of the Forest
Research Officer. The forest guards were trained in forest laws, tree and timber identifications, forest
survey and others. Each year since 1955, the best two students were sent to the forest school in
Kepong for a ten-month vernacular course at the courtesy of the Government and the Forest
Department of Malaya.
On 14 December 1987, Forest Department headquarters in Kuching moved from the old office at
Badruddin Road to the new office at Wisma Sumber Alam, Petra Jaya whereas the Bintulu Section
Office moved to the new 3-storey building on 21 October 1987. Responsibilities of the Forest
Department have increased with establishment of new branches and units such as resource planning,
economics, forest engineering, forest product research, national parks and wildlife conservation, law
enforcement and preventive work.
Forest Department, being a technical and scientific department, is concerned with forest
management, forest protection, efficient and effective utilization of the forest resources, preservation
and conservation of flora and fauna in the State. Based on the Forest Policy adopted in 1954, the
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II FOREST DEPARTMENT SARAWAK
SPECIAL FEATURES
THE HISTORY OF FOREST DEPARTMENT SARAWAK
Forest Department Sarawak was established in 1919 with J.P. Mead as the first Conservator of
Forests, followed by D.E. Calver (1929-1933) and Thomas Corson (1934-1946). Back then, the main
objectives of the Department were to manage and conserve the State’s forest resources. Upon his
installment as the first Conservator of Forests, J.P. Mead drafted a code of rules, which was gazetted
as the Forest Rules 1919 and came into effect in 1920 under Forest Reservation Order to deal with
the taking of forest produce, royalties, penalties and such. The Department concentrated on
exploration and demarcation of forests suitable for reservation. The first constituted reserve was the
Semengoh Forest Reserve in 1921.
During the Japanese occupation in 1941, the operations of the Department were interrupted for six
years until the Department was reestablished in April 1946. Thereafter, the Department concentrated
on the work of organization and rehabilitation of the deterioration caused.
The Forests Ordinance came into force on 1 January 1954 while the National Parks Ordinance was
enacted on 16 February 1956, followed by the Wild Life Protection Ordinance in 1958. The
constitution of permanent forests in the decade after 1950 was speeded up by aerial photographs
taken by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1947 onwards, making it possible to pick out suitable areas
instead of having laborious and slow ground explorations. A five-year plan (1961-1965) was approved
by the government in 1960 to continue with the constitution of permanent forests in the State.
For staff training, a forest school was started in Kuching in 1950. This school was moved to
Semengoh Forest Reserve in 1960. The annual training took place under the supervision of the Forest
Research Officer. The forest guards were trained in forest laws, tree and timber identifications, forest
survey and others. Each year since 1955, the best two students were sent to the forest school in
Kepong for a ten-month vernacular course at the courtesy of the Government and the Forest
Department of Malaya.
On 14 December 1987, Forest Department headquarters in Kuching moved from the old office at
Badruddin Road to the new office at Wisma Sumber Alam, Petra Jaya whereas the Bintulu Section
Office moved to the new 3-storey building on 21 October 1987. Responsibilities of the Forest
Department have increased with establishment of new branches and units such as resource planning,
economics, forest engineering, forest product research, national parks and wildlife conservation, law
enforcement and preventive work.
Forest Department, being a technical and scientific department, is concerned with forest
management, forest protection, efficient and effective utilization of the forest resources, preservation
and conservation of flora and fauna in the State. Based on the Forest Policy adopted in 1954, the
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