HTI (Industrial Forest):
BUILDING A FUTURE
Cultivating the Nation’s Distinction 

Author: H. Probosutedjo
Publisher:
University of Mercu Buana (UMB Press)
Year: 2004
ISBN: 9799904307

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
Until today there are many public officials who are involved in the development of industrial forest (HTI). However, their fundamental lack of understanding about this concept has led them to underestimate the contribution that industrial forests can make to the economic development of a nation. Industrial forest development is not just about greening and reforestation.

They seem to disregard that investments in industrial forests can generate thousands of employment opportunities because this kind of investment is highly labour intensive. It requires thousands of people to guard and maintain the forest against such adversity as from theft and fire.

On the 16th of March 1990, the government issued State Regulation No. 7 (7/1990) which regulates the development of industrial forest so that the proverb ‘Two or Three Islands can be Passed by Rowing Only Once’ (similar to killing two birds with one stone) can be achieved. The results of the proverb can be achieved only if the meaning of State Regulation No. 7/1990 is precisely understood.

Deforestation is the process whereby the trees are removed from an area of land and no trees are planted to replace them. The products from the forest are sold and the resulting barren land is not further utilized. In Indonesia, the extent of deforestation is now estimated to be in excess of 60 million hectares. This is comprised of 10 million hectares of protected forest, 4 million hectares of conservations, and about 46 million hectares of once productive forest.

The act of deforestation is still occurring today. Experts admit that more than 2 million hectares of Indonesian forest are deforested every year. This assertion is believable because when the government issued state regulation number 7/1990 the amount of forest destroyed was only 40 million hectares. Today there is about 60 million hectares of destroyed forest. 

Please note that this book is available in the Indonesian language.  The translation above is only intended to provide a limited description of the book.