In September 2017, the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) accredited and approved the nomination of the Raja Musa Forest Reserve as a conservation site for future generations.
The North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF) is located in the north western part of Selangor and it covers an area of 73,392 hectares. It consists of Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR) and Sungai Karang Forest Reserve with an area of 23,486 hectares and 50,106 hectares respectively.
Although the RMFR was gazetted in 1990, the area has been intensively logged since the 1950s with very little control and supervision resulting in frequent forest fires and encroachment of illegal squatters.
When the current Selangor state government took over the reigns of the state in 2008, they collaborated on a community-based initiative with the Global Environment Centre and the State Forestry Department to rehabilitate more than 1,000 hectares of degraded forest within and adjacent to the Raja Musa Forest Reserve through community participation as well as protecting remaining untouched areas.
The project plan included a range of key milestones including fire prevention, restoration of the natural water table, encouragement of natural regeneration as well as replanting severely degraded areas. The program engaged local communities and volunteers in carrying out the seedling production, enrichment planting, post planting treatment and monitoring of threats.
The QCC presents Selangor a rare opportunity to work with the Commonwealth in conserving our indigenous forests for future generations.
