Forestry Service to Plant 20 Million Trees

Thursday, 06 November, 2008 | 15:34 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Semarang: The state forestry company Perum Perhutani in Central Java will plant twenty million trees by the end of this year in various places in Central Java. “This is in order to create a green Central Java and to anticipate landslides and floods,” said Perhutani's chairman for Unit I Central Java Sri Puryono, yesterday. 

Puryono said the planting will be carried out at Muria Mountain on November 28 by the State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar. 

For this year, the government allocated Rp20 billion for this action. Other regions will also do planting from December 1-30 next year. 

Puryono mentioned 18 million trees have been planted last year but 600 of them died due to irresponsible attitudes. He expected that people can make a success of this program. 

Meanwhile, Semarang State University (UNNES) in Central Java will also plant 6,000 trees. “We will plant them in the area of 60-70 hectare . We want to 'green' the campus,” said UNNES's rector Prof. Dr. Sudijono Sastroatmidjo, yesterday. 

ROFIUDDIN