East Kalimantan Forestry Service Protects Ancient Rock Ecosystem at Tanjung Sinondok, Berau

The East Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service is continuously protecting an ancient rock complex at the Tanjung Sinondok Geosite in Berau Regency to preserve the natural ecosystem. ‘The effort to preserve the geological heritage of Tanjung Sinondok is a definitive government step to protect natural wealth of high historical value,’ said Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Forestry Service, Rusmadi, in Samarinda on Wednesday. The Tanjung Sinondok area, which falls under the working area of the UPTD KPHP Berau Pantai, is located in Teluk Sumbang Village and was designated as a National Geological Heritage site in 2024 by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. This protection status is stipulated through the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia Number 187.K/GL.1/MEM.G/2024 concerning the Determination of Geological Heritage. ‘The pre-tertiary rock complex in this exotic area holds traces of the earth’s formation history which are extremely rare and have high educational value,’ Rusmadi stated. Various superior geological components, such as breccia rocks, classic limestone, basaltic rocks, and gabbro rocks, stretch across this coastal area. ‘The discovery of these various ancient rock components simultaneously serves as tangible empirical evidence that the landmass of Kalimantan in the past was an ocean floor,’ he said. The local government now views this conservation area as a natural laboratory with the potential for further development of its uses. Optimising its potential for education, geoscience research, and integrated geo-tourism development is the main formulation in future spatial planning. Besides having high geological value, Rusmadi explained, this coastal area also offers ecological attractions in the form of a blend of mountainous landscapes and coral reefs. This landscape concept brings together the beauty of primary forests strictly guarded by the community and the pristine diversity of underwater biota. A rare natural phenomenon, the emergence of freshwater springs from pores in rocks beneath the sea, is also of interest to researchers. ‘The local community of the Basap Teluk Sumbang tribe still coexists with nature through their traditional fishing habits there,’ he clarified.