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SOOK: The State Government, through the Sabah Forestry Department, is drafting a Statewide Forest Master Plan to guide the management of Sabah’s forest resources over the next 25 years, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

He said the plan was in line with the government’s aspiration to rationalise land use and strike a balance between socio-economic development and environmental conservation, while ensuring Ecologically Sensitive Areas remain protected.

Speaking at the opening of the National-Level International Forest Day 2026 at Dataran Sook, Saturday, Hajiji said the initiative was also aligned with the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya under the SMJ 2.0 Development Plan, including infrastructure network development and green development.

He said Sabah remained committed to maintaining 50 per cent forest cover under the 2018 Sabah Forest Policy, with the state currently maintaining 63 per cent forest cover, including 3.85 million hectares gazetted as forest reserves and other protected areas.

At the same event, Hajiji, accompanied by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Kurup, presented 1,136 Native Title land grants for the Pensiangan parliamentary constituency, covering 2,303.84 hectares or 5,692.9 acres.