Paper Giant Asia Pulp & Paper Set to Destroy Home of Reintroduced Orangutans, Indigenous Tribes

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
A massive logging operation planned by one of the world`s largest paper
companies will destroy the forest home of 100 great apes that are part of the
only successful reintroduction program for Sumatran orangutans, conservationists
have learned.

World Wildlife Fund and four other groups working to protect Sumatra`s
biodiversity - the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Zoological Society of London,
WARSI and the Sumatran Tiger Conservation and Protection Foundation - have
learned that a joint venture company involving Asia Pulp & Paper/Sinar Mas Group
(APP) recently got a license to clear the largest portion of natural forest
remaining outside the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Jambi Province, Sumatra.

"It took scientists decades to discover how to successfully reintroduce
critically endangered orangutans from captivity into the wild. It could take APP
just months to destroy an important part of their new habitat," said Peter
Pratje of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. "These lowland forests are excellent
habitat for orangutans, which is why we got government permission to release
them here beginning in 2002. The apes are thriving now, breeding and
establishing new family groups."

The area is one of the most endangered forests on all of Sumatra, an island
already suffering from what is possibly the fastest deforestation rate in the
world. With this latest acquisition, APP and associated companies could convert
all remaining natural forest outside the park in the province, one of the most
important areas for biodiversity in Indonesia.

This unprotected forest is essential habitat for an estimated 100 of the last
400 critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild. The five groups are
concerned that APP could start natural forest conversion in two forest blocks
early next year and sent a letter to the Ministry of Forestry, asking the agency
to stop APP from logging there and to protect these forests.

"APP`s plan is devastating and it will almost certainly lead to more fatalities,
since tigers and people will be forced into closer contact with each other as
the tigers` forest disappears," said Dolly Priatna of Zoological Society of
London. "Tigers struggling to survive as Jambi`s forests shrink have already
killed nine people in the area this year."

Bukit Tigapuluh is also home to around 40-60 endangered Sumatran elephants,
which spend most of their time outside the national park.

"The local extinction of Sumatran elephants in the Bukit Tigapuluh area is a
real possibility if APP isn`t stopped," said Yunus of the Sumatran Tiger
Conservation and Protection Foundation. "We urge APP`s customers, investors and
other business partners to realize that the company is increasing its threat to
one of the most endangered natural forest blocks in Sumatra and the unique
species living there."

Two minority indigenous tribes - the Talang Mamak and Orang Rimba - both live
inside Bukit Tigapuluh`s natural forest and depend on natural resources from the
forest and river for their existence.

"APP is stealing their livelihood, which will marginalize their lives even
more," said Diki Kurniawan of Warsi. "I have worked in this forest with these
people since 1996. Is there no way we can protect them from this greedy global
giant?"

Between 1985 and 2007, Sumatra island lost 12 million hectares of natural
forest, a 48 percent loss in 22 years. By 2007, the island had only 30 percent
natural forest cover, around 13 million hectares. The Indonesian Ministries of
Forestry, Environment, Public Works and Interior, as well as the governors of
all 10 Sumatran provinces, including Jambi, last year announced their collective
commitment to protecting the areas of the island with "high conservation
values." The commitment was celebrated publicly at the IUCN World Conservation
Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2008.

The natural forest slated for destruction by APP - Bukit Tigapuluh - is a prime
example of the high conservation value areas that the governors promised to
protect.

"These NGOs are ready to support the Jambi governor to implement his public
commitment to protecting Sumatra`s high conservation value areas and halt
APP/SMG`s plan and identify alternative financing that would provide money and
still save the forests, such as credits in the emerging forest carbon market,"
said Ian Kosasih of WWF Indonesia.

APP/SMG has already begun converting natural forest in parts of Bukit Tigapuluh.
In 2008, the company completed a legally questionable logging highway through
this unique natural forest ecosystem to allow easier transport of wood to its
pulp mills in both Jambi and neighboring Riau Province.

Editors Notes:

* APP is waiting for an environmental impact assessment to be finalized for a
concession known as the former PT. Dalek Hutani Esa concession, where many of
the orangutans reintroduced in 2002 spend their time. NGOs question the quality
of the assessment study submitted by APP, as negative impacts on key wildlife
and indigenous people are not considered at all.
* APP and its associated companies have a history of controversial and legally
questionable forest conversion activities in central Sumatra.
* A new APP logging road in the Bukit Tigapuluh forest has already opened up
access for rampant illegal logging practices, which the local government agency
in charge of enforcing conservation laws believes has led to the increased
human-tiger conflict.
* A map of Bukit Tigapuluh area and its natural forest, distribution of
reintroduced orangutans and Sumatran tigers, elephants, Bukit Tigapuluh
ecosystem and APP/SMG associated pulpwood plantation (HTI) concessions, is
available at www.worldwildlife.org.
* A collection of documents published by WWF and other groups in Indonesia can
be found at: http://www.savesumatra.org/index.php/link, including a joint
release and investigative report published by these five organizations in 2008
on APP`s activities in Bukit Tigapuluh.

World Wildlife Fund
Lee Poston
Office: 202-495-4536
Mobile: 202-299-6442
Lee.poston@wwfus.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009