BALANGAN NURSING 531,500 TREE SEEDLINGS FOR PLANTING DRIVE

Paringin, S.Kalimantan, Nov 26 (ANTARA) - Balangan district's forestry and plantation office will nurse 531,500 seedlings under the One Billion Indonesian Trees (OBIT) program, its chief, A.Effendi said here Friday.

"The OBIT program runs from February to December 2010 and so far we have planted as many as 500,000 seedlings," he said.

As part of the OBIT program, the office was now nursing 30,000 trambesi (Albizia saman) seedlings provided by the central government.

Meanwhile, 1,500 seedlings consisting of glodokan pole (Polyalthia longifolia pendula) and flower cape were being nursed for planting in Desember 2010, Effendi said.

"Actually more seedlings are being nursed at South Kalimantan provincial forest tree cultivation center (BPTH) but the number is not yet known," he said.

Seedlings being nursed by BPTH were fruit trees, including breadfruit, which would be planted as part of the family welfare program (PKK).

"The location of the tree planting drive would be Gambah village, Paringin South sub district, and it would be opened by head of district," Effendi added.

It is targeted the program will be done by 10 December.

OBIT is a series of central government's programs launched on the Indonesia Planting Trees Day and National Planting Month on 28 November 2008.

In 2009, "One Men One Tree" or OMOT had been implemented through which the Indonesian people were encouraged to plant at least one one tree.

Through the program it is expected to achieve a sustainable maintenance of trees in order to reduce global warming and to reach clean Indonesia development.

OBIT activities conducted with the goal of making every stretch of land become green, both inside and outside the forest area.

Through this way it is hoped to provide protection function, aesthetics, economic output as well as carbon sequestration.