Sabah: The Sabah state government, through the State Forestry Department, is drafting a dedicated Forest Master Plan to guide the management of the state's forest resources for the next 25 years. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the careful planning aligns with the state government's goal of rationalising land use to balance socio-economic development with environmental conservation.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, with this Forest Master Plan in place, the state government will ensure all Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) remain protected while not neglecting sustainable socio-economic development for the well-being of Sabah's people. This initiative is in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya roadmap through the SMJ 2.0 Development Plan, which outlines the need for infrastructure development and green growth. He made these remarks at the launch of the 2026 National Level International Forest Day celebration at Dataran Sook today, also attended by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Kurup.

Hajiji reaffirmed the Sabah government's commitment to maintaining at least 50 per cent forest cover, in line with the Sabah Forest Policy 2018. He noted that Sabah currently retains 63 per cent forest cover, or 3.85 million hectares, gazetted as forest reserves and other protected areas. To further strengthen forest management and protect biodiversity, the state is committed to keeping 2.2 million hectares, or 30 per cent of Sabah's total area, as Totally Protected Areas.

Meanwhile, he revealed that Sabah has identified roughly 400,000 hectares of degraded forest reserve land for Forest Plantation Development, as outlined in the 2022-2036 action plan. This initiative serves as a proactive strategy to restore degraded forest productivity, reduce the timber industry's dependence on natural forest logs, and ensure a sustainable supply of raw materials.