Selangor Ruler His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (third from left), Crown Prince of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah (left) with Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari (right) and Selangor Forestry Department director Azhar Ahmad (second from left) at the Royal Selangor Heritage Forest declaration ceremony in a hotel at Shah Alam.
SELANGOR Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has officially declared the establishment of the Royal Selangor Heritage Forest (RSHF).
Spanning 108,000 hectares, the RSHF comprises approximately 26 permanent forest reserves including those in Hulu Selangor, Batang Kali, Hulu Gombak and Hulu Langat.
The initiative was realised following the Selangor Ruler’s decree to develop a forest area dedicated to conservation, research, education, recreation, and eco-tourism.
The combined areas making up the RSHF are classified as a State Park under the protected forests category by virtue of Section 10 of the Enactment (Application) of the Selangor State Forestry Act 1985.
It will serve multiple roles such as a water catchment area, a habitat for diverse flora and fauna, and a natural solution for erosion and flood control as well as a carbon sink to combat climate change.
Currently, the permanent forest reserves in Selangor cover 250,739.33 hectares, constituting 31.7% of the state's land area marking an increase from 30.55% in 2008.
The declaration ceremony held at a hotel in Shah Alam was also attended by Selangor Crown Prince of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah. Mentri Besar Amiruddin Shari, who was joined by 250 attendees including officers of state, district, and federal departments as well as researchers nationwide.
