Five non-governmental organisations for environmental and consumer affairs plan to issue comments on Friday, on a Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study of heli-harvesting of timber around the Muda, Pedu and Ahning dams in Kedah.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), World Wide Fund for Nature, Wetlands International, Malaysian Nature Society and Consumers Association of Penang are conducting separate reviews of the EIA report, which was released on Dec 16.

Already, one group considers that the EIA report is "biased" in its approach to what is becoming a controversial project.

As a preliminary remark, SAM research co-ordinator Nizam Mahshar said the report has merely focused on mitigation problems.

"It does not address real issues such as the great impact of logging on the environment," Nizam told malaysiakini .

"There is no option to abandon the project if the impact on the environment is found to be massive."

The project, initiated by the Kedah government, will cost about RM2.7 billion. It is to be implemented in two phases by Sarawak-based company WTK Holdings Bhd.

The trees to be felled lie within 122,798ha of protected forest reserve in the districts of Padang Terap, Sik and Baling, in the east of the state.

The total area functions as a catchment area for the three dams which supply water for the state's padi-farming activities and consumer needs.

Nizam said the EIA report was submitted by Sawarak-based consultancy company Tuju Jauh Sdn Bhd, headed by Prof Dr Lai Food See.

Protests building

"Logging the areas would affect the livelihood of 63,000 farmers as 76 percent of water is used for irrigating padi-fields," Nizam claimed.

SAM has thus far collected more than 1,000 signatures from upset padi-farmers registered with the Malaysian Agriculture Development Authority.

Concerns are also building up beyond state boundaries, as the impact is expected to be felt in Penang and Perlis, which obtain part of their water supply from Kedah. About 80 percent of Penang's water supply comes from Kedah.

In a letter addressed to several government departments and Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon, SAM president SM Mohd Idris said the project site should be protected as an eco-sensitive area.

"The forest (serves) a critical ecological function as a water catchment area, animal sanctuary and carbon-absorber. Its bio-diversity value is very high," he said.

'Better method'

The Kedah government has defended helicopter logging as a technique that causes less damage to the environment, forest resources and bio-diversity than conventional logging methods.

However, The Star quoted State Housing, Local Government and Agriculture Committee chairperson Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah last November as saying that access roads would still have to be laid to transport the logs out of the forest.

Replying to questions in the Kedah state assembly, he said the ratio for roads was 5.7m per ha under heli-harvesting, compared with 40m per ha for conventional logging.

Ahmad reportedly said WTK Holdings Bhd was chosen because of its experience in heli-harvesting, but that the service could be terminated if the firm does not comply with the terms of the logging concession.

In addition, he said the Kedah government was aware that the National Forestry Council had limited logging to 2,600ha a year per state under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, but clarified that the limit was only applicable to conventional logging methods.

Meanwhile, the newspaper also quoted Menteri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain as saying that only three trees per 0.4ha would be felled, with the trees to be selected by the Forestry Department.

He said it was better for the state to derive income from the trees rather than let them die a natural death.