National park forests not free from looting<\/p>\n
By Sutha Sastradhinata<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (Antara): Hundreds of locals looted the forest
\nof the West Bali National Park, Jembrana district, some 120
\nkilometers west of here, triggering a strong reaction from many
\nBalinese, particularly environmentalists.<\/p>\n
These locals who plundered the forest divided the land into
\nplots measuring an average of 5,000 m2 each, and then put up
\nstakes around their plots of land, an act that many fear will
\ndamage the environment and disrupt the ecosystem in the national
\npark.<\/p>\n
In response, Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha this land grab
\ncould never be justified, whatever the reasons might be, because
\nit violated the regulations and was harmful to conservation
\nefforts and the forest's ecosystem.<\/p>\n
However, before the provincial administration takes any steps
\nto address the situation, it has called on those involved to pull
\nup their stakes and clear out of the national park.<\/p>\n
\"First, we would like to warn and persuade the locals to
\nreturn the land, and if this fails we will take harsh action,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that if persuasion was not fruitful, the provincial
\nadministration would ask the Bali Police to take appropriate
\nmeasures as permitted by the law.<\/p>\n
The parceling of land by locals in the national park, he said,
\nwas the result of a misunderstanding of the social forest
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
This program, which the Ministry of Forestry has implemented
\nin a number of forest areas in Bali, has standing requirements
\nand procedures participants must comply with.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Military
\nfaction at the Bali provincial legislative assembly, I Made Lanus
\nWirawan, said his faction was coordinating with Bali Police chief
\nBrig. Gen. D Ardjana about dispatching a special committee to
\nWest Bali.<\/p>\n
A witness said the land parceling has taken place along
\nGilimanuk road leading to Malaya, in the area from Klatakan up to
\nSumber Sari.<\/p>\n
The locals have intercropped such items as corns on their new
\nparcels of land. Meanwhile, a group of people from Gilimanuk came
\nto the office of West Bali National Park on Oct. 16 to enquire
\nwhether they could make use of the forest area to grow crops.<\/p>\n
Similar land looting also has occurred in Sumber Rejo, Sumber
\nKelampok village, Buleleng regency, in North Bali. It took place
\nhere in late July and involved an area of some 200 hectares,
\nwhich have been turned into plots of land used to grow crops.<\/p>\n
The head of the West Bali National Park, Soedirun Darto
\nSoewarno, confirmed that part of the forest within the national
\npark had been divided up into plots of land by the locals. But he
\nreiterated that it was not allowed to grow seasonal plants in a
\nforest area.<\/p>\n
\"We have done our best to brief the locals involved in this
\nland looting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The national park center, he went on to say, has received a
\nreport that there are at least three groups of locals involved in
\nseizing land in West Bali. The first group comprises 250 people,
\nthe second 150 people and the third 200 people.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he said, the national park wardens have intensified
\npatrols and removed the stakes planted by locals. \"The patrols
\nwill be conducted every hour,\" he promised.<\/p>\n
Malaya subdistrict head I Wayan Sadnya made similar remarks.
\nHe said land parceling in the forests of West Bali started as
\nearly as Oct. 2, and that he and his subordinates had tried their
\nbest to make the locals realize that forest clearing was against
\nthe law.<\/p>\n
Tourism industry<\/p>\n
Undeniably, the attraction of Bali lies in its unique culture
\nand natural charm, two factors which have made Bali famous the
\nworld over. It is therefore regretable that the promotion of the
\ntourist industry in Bali has to be done at the expense of the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
The West Bali National Park in Jembrana is virtually barren.
\nLeafy trees have been felled. The pristine water which used to
\nflow in the rivers of Bali and formed part of the daily
\nactivities of the Balinese is now contaminated.<\/p>\n
Jalak Bali, the Bali Starling, a rare white bird with a small
\ncrown on its head and a symbol of this province, is now on the
\nbrink of extinction. Other animals unique to the island have
\nbecome extinct.<\/p>\n
The land, the sea, the mountains, the valleys and vast
\nexpanses of rice fields, formerly picturesque, have all been
\ndamaged in one way or another. Unfortunately, this damage has
\nbeen brought about by the tourist industry.<\/p>\n
In view of this alarming condition, 19 Balinese non-
\ngovernmental organizations concerned with the environment have
\ntaken up this matter with the provincial legislative assembly.
\nThese groups claim the construction of tourist facilities in Bali
\nhas damaged the environment.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Center for Environmental Research at
\nUdayana University here, IPG Ardhana, said the development of
\ntourism in Bali has never been separated from other factors such
\nas forest areas, which are closely linked with a community's life
\nand at the same time are valuable for the development of the
\ntourist industry.<\/p>\n
Well-conserved forest areas make good tourist destinations, he
\nsaid, adding that unfortunately the community, particularly those
\nin the tourist industry, had little understanding about this
\nmatter, evidenced by the deterioration of the forests in Bali.<\/p>\n
West Bali National Park is an example that damage to the
\nforest can occur at virtually any time. Forest damage worsens
\nwhen the locals living in the surrounding areas illegally fell
\ntrees, as if in a race with tourist industry operators.<\/p>\n
Deforestation, he said, has come about not only because there
\nis a limited number of national park wardens, but rather because
\nthe locals have little understanding of the role and function of
\na forest area. To make matters worse, he added, some people are
\ndeveloping tourist activities in the national park.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he went on, his office has urged security officials
\nto conduct raids on a routine basis to prevent illegal logging,
\nmete out heavy sentences for illegal logging and to stop issuing
\nlicenses to investors planning to develop the national park as a
\ntourist area.<\/p>\n
The community must be involved in the management of the
\nnational park, and a special regional regulation should be drawn
\nup to regulate the use of the forest, he said. It is hoped that
\nin this way, some areas within the national park will be
\nrestored.<\/p>\n
The total forest area in Bali now measures some 131,000
\nhectares, or about 23.3 percent of the total territory of the
\nisland.<\/p>",
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