Sook Lake Forest Reserve is located about 50 km away from Keningau Town. This area is managed by the Sook Forestry District Office & surrounded by privately owned lands & recent gazetted state lands. It takes within 2 hours drive enroute Kimanis highway from Kota Kinabalu. The Sook Lake Forest Reserve is split into two (2) part namely :-
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Part A with a total area of 732.46 Ha which is the remaining natural forest vegetation in the Sook Lake Forest Reserve. It is accessesible from Sook - Tulid road.
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Part B with a total area of 720.06 Ha is another area that under the Sook Lake Forest Reserve. It is formerly used for the Sabah Forestry Department’s (SFD) research plots that are managed by the Forest Research Center (FRC) under the Forest Plantation and Tree improvement Units since 1964. Accessible from the Keningau -Tawau highway.
ESTABLISHMENT OF SOOK LAKE
This area was partly under Sook Plains Forest Reserve (Class 2). It was first gazetted on the 21st March 1968 via the Government ‘s Gazette Notification 228/1968 with the initial size of 13.727 ha. Then this it is regazetted and classified into Class IV Forest Reserve (Amenity Forest) on the 14th March 1984 via Gazette Notification 4/1984. To accommodate largely for urban development of Sook Town, a substantial portion of the Sook Plains Forest Reserve was de-gazetted into state lands in 2010 by the Sabah State Legislative Assembly. Due to this amendment, the size further reduced to 2, 194 ha.
By early November 2014, the Sabah State Assembly approved the establisment of a new Class 1 Forest Reserve known as the Sook Lake Forest Reserve with the total area of 1,452.52 ha. It was deprived by reducing the area of Sook Plains Forest Reserve 2,194 ha into the current size of 741.8 ha. The Sook Plains, largely planted with Acacia Mangium and licensed under KM Hybrid Plantation Sdn. Bhd and remains as Class IV Reserve. This SFMLA 01/4 license valid until 31/12/2054.
The Sook Lake Forest Reserve is split into two (2) part namely :-
- Part A with a total area of 732.46 ha which is the remaining natural forest vegetation in the Sook Lake Forest Reserve. It is accessesible from Sook- Tulid road.
- Part B with a total area of 720.06 ha is another area that under the Sook Lake Forest Reserve. It is formerly used for the Sabah Forestry Department’s (SFD) research plots that are managed by the Forest Research Center (FRC) under the Forest Plantation and Tree improvement Units since 1964. Accessible from the Keningau -Tawau highway.
TOPOGRAPHY
The Sook Lake Forest Reserve is a about 300 m above sea level (asl) and lies in a depression between low foothills of the Trusmadi and the Witti Ranges. The highest point is about 550 m (asl), located from the northeastern Part A.
VEGETATION
The Lowland Mixed Dipterocarp Forest was the original vegetation that covers the Sook Plains . The Upland Mixed Dipterocarp and Kerangas Forest on the hand were found in Part A and Part B. These original vegetations no longer dominate the area as the presence of secondary vegetations and other crop are largely observed.
BACK GROUND OF SOOK LAKE ACTIVITIES
Formally a Research and Development of forest plantations center wayback in 1964. Major plantations trial plots were commenced actively in 1971. In that period, a total of 7,800 Acacia Mangium seedlings were planted around the research area ( now Part B SLFR) to act as fire and wind breaks (FRC Annual report 1972).
A total of 24 different species had been planted for varying purposes since 1964. A total of 12 species each for both local and exotics species were established in this area. The exotics mainly Pinus sp covered some 154.13 ha of plots established, while the indigenous species (varies from Diptorecarps) took up 8.53 ha of the area established. As a result, it created a beautiful forest plantation landscape a part from the man made lake that surrounded by a small portions Berungis tree (HCVF) protected under IUCN list.
The Sabah Forestry Department’s policy statement are :
- The SFD is committed to managing the Sook Lake Forest Reserve in accordance with the principles of sustainable and responsible management as prescribed by the IUCN-Greenlist and in conformity with all existing State forest policies, environment policies, legislation ang regulations.
- The SFD will ensure to protect the Sook Lake Forest Reserve from fire, illegal felling and encroachment and to safeguard the resource security under responsible management.
- The SFD is committed to support the effort to combat global warming in Sook Lake Forest Reserve through restoration activities and the establishment of intensively managed planted areas that will sequester carbon and produce carbon credits in accordance to CCB standards.
- The SFD shall maintain and enhance areas identified as ` high conservation values forest’ (HCVF) for the protection of biodiversity, wilderness, soil and water resources.
- The SFD shall consult with local stakeholders in its efforts to manage the forest reserve.
- The SFD shall optimize economic returns to the State on long term basis by optimizing the utilization and efficient use of resources while maintaining conservation and environmental values and providing social benefits. Social benefits will include job oppurtunities and socio-economic development activities, particularly for the local communities who will form the `Koperasi Eko-Pelancongan Mukim Sook’ to enhance the coorperative’s development.
- The SFD shall is an organisation responsible for protecting and managing Sabah’s forest resources and practices zero tolerance against all forms of corruption and abuse of power.
SFD is committed to :
- Establishing a culture of intergrity and transparency at the work place as well as continuously implementing intergrity and anti-corruption programmes;
- Ensuring all SFD personnel, forest licensees, contractors, suppliers and stakeholders are responsible to comply with existing anti-corruption laws and regulations;
- Providing avenues and encourages reporting on corruption and abuse of power through client complaints ;
- Providing full cooperation to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC) in curbing corruption in SFD, forestry licensees, contractors and stakeholders dealing with SFD; and
- Taking firm actionst any party found to be in violation with anti-corruption laws and not complying with policy.
- The Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) pracitces zero tolerance against act of sexual harrasment.
SFD is committed to:
- Providing a work place that is safe, conductive and free of sexual harrasment to all SFD personnel, clients and the public;
- Ensuring all SFD personnel, clients and the public are accountable and comply with all existing sexual harrassment laws and regulations;
- Providing avenues and encourages reporting of acts of sexual harrassment through clients complaints; and
- Taking firm actions against any person found to be committing acts of sexual harrassment and not complying with policy.
- The Sabah Forestry (SFD) practices gender equality in the management and administration of its organisation.
SFD is committed to :
- Ensuring that there is no gender discriminination in employment oppurtunities, training and contract awards;
- Ensuring women are empowered in decision and policy -making; and
- Ensuring equality for women in all aspects of management.
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