Ravaged by logging, mining and property development, a forest near Indonesia's East Kalimantan is in "very poor" condition and no longer holds any scientific value, according to a researcher cited by The Jakarta Globe.
Chandra Boer, director of the Tropical Forest Research Center at Mulawarman University, said about 15,000 acres of a forest that used to total 50,000 acres remains near East Kalimantan. The forest's former high biodiversity was a boon for the university's teachers and students, but not anymore.
"In the state that it's in, you can't call Bukit Suharto a conservation forest anymore," Chandra told The Jakarta Globe. "It's been mined so extensively, and there are many settlements inside it."
The forest's role has changed over the years; it was initially designated a protected forest in 1976. Since then, it has been designated a protected tourism forest, and now it is a "community forest" where commercial forestry activities are prohibited. However, about 22 companies now operate within the forest, and illegal activity is rampant, the Globe reports.
