THIRD PARTY ANALYSIS OF 15 MAY MORATORIUM COMPLIANCE
Hatfield was appointed by APRIL Group to monitor APRIL’s supplier PT Adindo Hutani Lestari (AHL) compliance of SFMP 2.0. Hatfield’s report found that of 20,579 hectares analysed, 151 hectares require further high-resolution analysis using RapidEye to determine if any felling took place after 15 May 2015. APRIL has asked its supplier AHL to halt any activities in the areas in question until the RapidEye analysis results are received and analysed. If any breach is confirmed, APRIL will direct its supplier AHL to rehabilitate the affected areas.
APRIL staffs at forest plantation
For Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP) 2.0 compliance, APRIL Group has appointed PT Hatfield Indonesia to conduct mapping analysis of its supplier PT Adindo Hutani Lestari (AHL) in North Kalimantan to ensure that AHL halted all felling of Mixed Hardwood (MHW) by 15 May 2015.
Hatfield’s analysis using satellite maps and radar has been complemented by ground-truthing in the field as well as aerial survey of several blocks of concession areas. This includes the blocks queried by Eyes on the Forest (EoF) in its recent report. Hatfield has completed its analysis and its report can be viewed here.
Hatfield’s report covers the classification of 20,579 hectares made up of 887 compartments located in North Kalimantan, where the supplier’s records confirm that felling was halted by 15 May 2015. Hatfield has employed a methodology called Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) mapping and found that:
1. A total of 861 compartments totaling 19,946 hectares are low risk, where some areas are neither operated (i.e. standing forests in claim area and moratorium area) or areas with NDVI value below 0.6 indicating previously felled trees or scrub land;
2. Of the remaining 26 compartments comprising 632 hectares with NDVI value greater than 0.6:
a. For 19 compartments comprising 481 hectares, the landsat analysis between 15 May vs. 9 and 17 June showed no forest cover change. The supplier’s records indicate that felling in these 19 compartments took place prior to 15 May 2015. Visual ground-truthing and aerial survey that was undertaken on 25 June 2015 confirmed that these areas are in a condition consistent with the supplier’s records.
b. For the remaining 7 compartments comprising 151 hectares, the landsat analysis between 15 May vs. 9 and 17 June detected some forest cover changes. The supplier’s records indicate that felling in these 7 compartments took place prior to 15 May 2015. Removal of felled MHW which took place between 15 May and 9 June 2015 may account for the change in forest cover found in the landsat analysis;
c. As a result, further high-resolution analysis using RapidEye is being sought to confirm the sequence of events and to confirm the completion of felling prior to 15 May 2015. This may also allow for an enhanced baseline map for 15 May 2015 based on optical data.
APRIL has asked its supplier AHL to immediately halt any activities in the 26 compartments in question until RapidEye analysis results are received and analysed.
We appreciate EoF’s feedback as a valuable part of civil society’s ongoing scrutiny of our SFMP 2.0 implementation. We will continue to vigorously enforce our SFMP commitments, including monitoring of our moratorium commitment post 15 May 2015. We will act with urgency if any breach of our policy commitment is confirmed and direct our supplier AHL to rehabilitate the affected areas.
