Linggasana gives rise to new forest management concept<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Kuningan, West Java<\/p>\n
When a mudslide at a hotspring resort in Pacet, East Java killed
\nat least 26 visitors last December, state forestry firm Perhutani
\ncould no longer hide its poor management of Javanese state
\nforests.<\/p>\n
Families of the victims sued the firm, which oversees the
\ntourist area, for negligence. Rampant illegal logging in the area
\nabove the hotspring had helped trigger the mudslide. The local
\ngovernment was also sued, but the court rejected the lawsuits.<\/p>\n
Critics said Perhutani had not only had failed to curb illegal
\nlogging, but had encouraged the illegal practice by planting
\ncommercial trees on land that was designed to protect the soil of
\nwater catchment areas. Perhutani had also not involved local
\npeople in managing the forest.<\/p>\n
In certain areas such as the Kuningan regency in West Java,
\nthe illegal logging of state forests no longer has the chance to
\nincrease as Perhutani has begun managing the forest with the help
\nof the local people and government.<\/p>\n
The new concept is known as community based forest management.
\nThe success of the concept can be seen in Linggasana village in
\nKuningan, where at least 100 poor farmers have been able to plant
\nfruit and other trees alongside pines and other harvested trees
\nsince last year.<\/p>\n
Said, a 60-year-old farmer, who manages 0.3 hectares of land
\nin the state forest, said he benefited a lot from the change in
\nstate forest management.<\/p>\n
\"Before 2002, I was afraid of entering the state forest as the
\nrangers were always suspicious of us. The forest management also
\nused to force us to grow certain fruits that we could harvest in
\ntwo years,\" he told reporters over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\"But now I can grow trees like banana, durian, avocado and
\njackfruit to fulfill my own needs and patchouli that can be sold
\nto businessmen for the cosmetics industry,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Farmers in Linggasana and Perhutani will soon sign a profit
\nsharing agreement for the crops of supporting trees.<\/p>\n
In other villages, 75 to 80 percent of the profit goes to
\nfarmers and the rest to Perhutani.<\/p>\n
A Kuningan businessman has also established a simple patchouli
\noil refinery capable of processing 200 kilograms per day.<\/p>\n
The businessman exports the oil to partners in France and the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
Wawan, a man who runs the refinery, said the refinery employs
\nthree local people and earn profits of Rp 3 to 4 million a month.<\/p>\n
Besides benefiting from planting supporting trees in the state
\nforest, farmers in Linggasana will also receive a share of
\nrevenue from the harvesting of pine and the sale of latex for 30
\nyears.<\/p>\n
In this field, 75 to 80 percent of the profit goes to
\nPerhutani, while the rest to farmers.<\/p>\n
The success of community-based forest management in Linggasana
\nhas attracted the attention of foreigners.<\/p>\n
S.P. Sasmita, head of the Forum of Community-based Forest
\nManagement in Linggasana said the visitors came from Canada, Laos
\nand other countries.<\/p>\n
Sanusi Wijaya K, Chairman of Kuningan-based Institute of
\nCommunity Based Forestry Implementation Service (LPI) said people
\nin Kuningan and the local government had responded well to the
\ncommunity based forest management scheme.<\/p>\n
In 2001, Perhutani and the Kuningan administration signed a
\nmemorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement the community-
\nbased forest management to replace the centralized forest
\nmanagement run by Perhutani.<\/p>\n
Perhutani and other forestry villages later signed similar
\nMOUs.<\/p>\n
At the end of 2002, at least 23 of 141 forestry villages in
\nKuningan signed MOUs with Perhutani to manage state forests
\ntogether, ranging from planting supporting trees in the state
\nforests to forestry based tourism.<\/p>\n
In the same year, the Kuningan administration also agreed to
\nallocate funds for the community-based forest management.<\/p>\n
Noor Rochman, Perhutani official in charge of environment
\nsupervision in West Java, said the scheme helped Perhutani
\nminimize conflict with local people in Kuningan at an early stage
\nand foster cooperation with local people and the Kuningan
\nadministration in managing state forests.<\/p>",
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