CENTRAL KALIMANTAN – PT Korintiga Hutani, one of the largest companies in Central Kalimantan, continues to manage its Industrial Forest Plantation (HTI) comprehensively—spanning nursery operations, planting, maintenance, to the harvesting of various timber species.
The company began clearing land for HTI in 1998 after securing a forest plantation business license (IUPHHK-HTI) covering 97,850 hectares. The primary species planted include Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Waru trees.
Over the years, PT Korintiga Hutani’s active planting efforts have flourished. Today, over 60,088.7 hectares of fertile Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Waru trees cover the concession’s flat and hilly terrains.
In 2003, the late Vice Governor of Central Kalimantan, Nahson Taway, visited the site—a visit covered by the writer. Welcomed by company representative Mr. Riyu, the Vice Governor and his entourage were taken to a hilltop to view the landscape.
“It is incredibly beautiful. The young Acacia and Eucalyptus trees look like a carpet stretching toward the horizon—extraordinary. Once fully grown, these hundreds of thousands of trees will be beneficial in holding back floods and landslides,” Taway remarked at the time.
Impressed by the view, he jokingly asked if the hills had been named, suggesting they be called “Nahson Taway Hill 1 and 2.” The late Vice Governor, known for his warm demeanor, noted that as the trees matured, they would naturally aid in environmental preservation and reduce disaster risks in North Arut District, West Kotawaringin Regency.
Observations suggest that PT Korintiga Hutani has long demonstrated a commitment to conservation and disaster mitigation in the areas surrounding its plantation.
Years later, on July 9, 2010, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan also visited the site. Accompanied by the Director General of Forest Production Development Hadi Daryanto, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-Young, French Special Envoy for Climate Change Jacques Le Guen, and Vice Governor Ahmad Diran, the delegation toured parts of the concession in West Kotawaringin and Lamandau.
Minister Hasan stated that the visit aimed to encourage investors holding utilization licenses to accelerate planting realization.
“Indonesia will be able to meet industrial forestry raw material needs from plantation forests if we can plant 10 million hectares by 2012,” the Minister noted.
While recent flash floods and landslides in Sumatra—often exacerbated by illegal logging—have drawn national concern, the presence of managed HTI offers a contrast.
For the residents of North Arut District, where floods were previously blamed on HTI operations, the plantations actually serve to strengthen the land. Acacia and Eucalyptus trees possess strong, complex root systems capable of preventing soil erosion and rapidly absorbing rainwater, thereby reducing the risk of landslides and flooding.
The HTI functions as a natural buffer for rainwater, slowing runoff flow. Additionally, the forest acts as a natural filter, removing pollutants and maintaining water quality.
PT Korintiga Hutani manages its forest responsibly and sustainably, prioritizing production continuity, local socio-economic aspects, and environmental preservation. The company has secured sustainable forest management certification and supports international certification systems such as the PEFC. (*)
Source: beritasampit.com
