Sepu people question logging activity in their area

Nathan Matbob

The people of the Sepu area along the Ramu River in the Usino-Bundi District of Madang held a meeting with representatives from logging company Madang Timbers and the PNG Forest Authority at the village more than a week ago. Representatives from the Forest Authority however, did not attend on the reason that their forester rep was not available at that time.

The meeting was held after the disgruntled landowners stopped forest surveyors from Madang Timbers surveying their forest land. The people demanded to know how their land had been signed to the Forest Management Agreement (FMA) without their knowledge and who were responsible for the arrangement, as well there were other issues concerning the FMA and TRP (Timber Rights Purchase) and companies that will operate in the area (Madang Timbers and Wood Bank) among the agendas.

The representatives from the Madang Timbers explained the formalities that had taken place which brought their land into the FMA. The representatives explained that under the Provincial Framework Plan of the Madang Provincial Government, gave way for the Forest Authority with other stakeholder departments to divide the identified areas into blocks then tendered to interested developers. The land had already been signed under the FMA and tendered, in which Madang Timbers won rights to harvest timber in the area. The agreement was signed in Port Moresby on the 15^th May of this year. However, they stated that the developer will seek first the consent of the people before they can “come in”.

The total land area under the FMA is 158 000 hectares, which is from Sepu to Atamble Mission inside Middle Ramu. The representatives also made clear that Madang Timbers and Wood Bank is only one company and that the people will have to register as an Incorporated Land Group (ILG) to access benefits from the development. The FMA has a lifespan of 35 years. Under the company’s first five year plan, Madang Timbers proposes to establish a base camp, township and a plywood factory at the Emerum area.

Inside the meeting the people pointed out that information on the FMA had not been disseminated to the principal landowners, hence they questioned why they were left out of the entire process. They had only found out that their land had been signed under the FMA from third party sources, and after Madang Timbers began surveying their forests.

At the conclusion of the meeting, young village leader Bolisa Figa on behalf of the Sepu people issued an ultimatum to the developer not to come back and survey the land unless all outstanding issues have been settled. And that the Forest Authority has to come and explain to the people on their part before they take any step further. He also stated that all meetings will have to be held at the village and not anywhere else.