Leaders in Indonesia intend to build "wood terminals," government-sanctioned clearinghouses for certified legally logged lumber, in an effort to curb its illegal logging problem, according to the Jakarta Globe.
Any wood seller in Indonesia would be required to purchase its wood from a terminal. "Many wood sellers may still accept illegal timber because of its cheaper price. With clear regulations and the [introduction] of wood terminals, purveyors would not be allowed to accept contraband wood sourced from illegal logging operations," Benny Wahyudi, director general of agricultural and chemical industry in Indonesia's Ministry of Industry, told the Jakarta Globe.
Building of the terminals is a component of the country's Timber Legality Verification System, or "SVLK," which Indonesia is building to help comply with the European Union's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan to curb illegal logging. The FLEGT plan is due to take effect March 3.
All wood taken by the terminals will include its origin, time of logging, species and date it was registered, according to the Jakarta Globe. One terminal is already in operation in Central Java, and others are to be built in East Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
