Site Nomination for Peat Site Profiles in Southeast Asia
Category:
Protected Area
Name of Site: Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR)
Country: Malaysia
GPS Point: Latitude: 3°25- 42’ N Longitude: 101°05- 27’ E
Location & Access: Is is located on a flat coastal plain in the northern part of State of Selangor. Raja Musa Forest Reserve and Sungai Karang Forest Reserve formed the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest and covers a total areas almost 73,500ha.
Total Area: 23486.00 hectare(s)
Background of Site: RMFR was gazetted in 1990 and prior to its gazettement, the area was part of State land foresr and was intensively subjected to logging since 1950s with very little control and supervision from Forestry Department. As a consequence, the condition of the forest is heavily disturbed and the forest stand is only of medium to low density. Under the "Integrated Management Plan of the NSPSF (2001 - 2010)", 70% of RMFR is classified as production forest, 27% as forest sanctuary for wildlife and the remaining 3% as research forest. Forest harvesting in RMFR continued until 2007 within the production forest.

RMFR support tree species with small to medium sized crowns, typically reaching 30 metres in height. Emergent trees are scattered throughout the area. Kempas (Koompassia malaccensis), Kedondong (Santiria spp.), Kelat (Syzgium spp.) and Durian (Durio carinatus) are the dominant tree species within the forest. Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus) which was a common species in the peat swamp forest is now very rare. Part of the north-east corner of RMFR are known for its high water table and dominated by palms and pandanus.
Significant Value of Site:
- Hydrology
- Soil/Carbon
Designated use (status/legal classification):
- Permanent Forest Reserve

Major Issues: The issues
a) Forest fire
* Correlation between heavily drained and degraded forest areas and fires in Raja Musa FR;
* Frequent fires during prolong dry spells in months of February - March and June - August every year;
* Due to burning of agricultural waste outside the FR, illegal clearing for settlement and agriculture activities and other encroachment activities;
* An area covering 6500 hectares bordering the southern part of the Raja Musa FR is directly affected by drainage and has been severely degraded by fire;
* 2,000 hectares comprises of grassland due to repeated burning incidence;
* Within the FR are large quantities of dry organic materials found heavily logged and damaged forests; and
* Due to this, the center of the FR is severely affected by fire over the past decades.

b) Encroachment
Land grabbing from the late 1990's up to mid 2000's resulted in illegal encroachment of the previously burnt area and provided an excuse for illegal settlers who have encroached into the forest reserve for settlement and agriculture. After a series of ad-hoc actions by Selangor Forestry Department, the present Selangor State Government acknowledge the severity of damage and negative impact to the state, resulting in 470 individuals forcefully removed/evacuated from the affected sites in December 2008 and these areas have now been subjected to forest rehabilitation activities.
Site Jurisdiction & Administration: State of Selangor. Forest Reserve is under jurisdiction of Forestry Department of the State.
Peatland Type: Lowland
Management activities: a) Past
over-logged forest

b) Current
production forest. forest reserve

c) Potential
rehabilitation. forest reserve
Facilities & Activities Available on Site:
Institution Responsible for the Site:
Name of Organization: Forestry Department of State of the Selangor
Postal Address: State Forestry Department Selangor, Tingkat 3, Podium Utara, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor
Phone: +603-55191957
Fax: +603-55102358
Website: http://www.forestry.gov.my/selangor
Nominated by:
Name: serena
Organization: Global Environment Centre