POTENCY OF FORESTRY
In spite of having relatively small amount of production, forestry sector contributes to forming PDRB particularly for Sabang is always increasing in for the year of 1997 - 2000. From the data obtained, it is obviously seen known that this sector gets a raise year by year with the average amount of 23,77%.
Commodity of forest crop in Sabang is covering Semantok wood, Cassia and Pulai wood and crop of non-wood is like cane and rattan. In the year 2000 in Sabang there is found a protected forest of 3.400 hectares and a national park of 1.300 hectares. Up to now, there has not happened a significant change to the width of the forests. Therefore, the potency of forest resources in this area can be used either as a regional production improving factor or usefully as a reforesting arrangement for environmental balance especially on condition that the amount can be well maintained.
In spite of it the development of forestry crop should highlight the protecting function. This is much related to the topography of Sabang’s area which is hilly that it requires the availability of protected forest as to take care of the environmental continuity. Even the limited width of area will limit the forest exploitation as a production forest.
Nowadays, the forest exertion as a production forest by the local people is only as a side-job earnings. Consequently, the forest production does not go intensively.
The development of forestry resource for Sabang’s area is aimed at maintaining the protected forest by means of preserving and keeping it well so that the natural conservation executed with regard to environmental balance can be well guaranteed. Taking ecological function into consideration, we can limit the exploitation of forest resource with the exception for the purpose of conservation. In general, the width of forest (for various functions) in Sabang’s area is 14,931.32 hectares or about 60% of the entire width.
Forest crop to take is Semantok wood, Cassia and Pulai wood and for non -wood crop is rattan and cane. However, up to now the said forest crop is still not produced yet. The highly potential forest exploitation is purposely used as an object of tourism or as "Ecotourism" that relies on natural beauty and for hunting. Forest exploitation as an object of tourism should highlight the aspects forest conservation.
In Sabang, forest exertion is still not carried out commercially, for instance the application of HPH (Rights of Logging Concession). It is because most part of forest land does not have virgin forest which is sufficient for one unit of exertion. Its area is relatively steep and functions as a protection for surroundings and wellspring. It also can be a restraint of the possibility of forest degradation in case of any damage of ecosystem of Sabang’s area that may happen in the middle of ocean such like erosion, slide, dryness of natural wellspring, and trouble of forest biota.
Based on topographical condition, the forest potency in Sabang’s area should be better maintained as a forest that is aimed at becoming a function of land conservation, hydrological support, ecotourism, and protection of tourism underneath.