Govt washes its hands of Sancang
Govt washes its hands of Sancang
Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung, West Java
An official from the National Development Planning Agency
(Bappenas) gave a reminder at a discussion in Bandung recently
that the Sancang nature reserve in southern Garut regency has
been severely damaged.
In order to restore the area, Bappenas director of planning
Sudjana Royat has requested the Garut regental administration and
West Java provincial administration promptly submit a proposal to
the forestry ministry to establish the area, which covers 2,175
hectares, as a global asset.
The matter was discussed at a Regional Development Planning
seminar held at the West Java Development Planning Agency in
Bandung, attended by West Java Governor Danny Setiawan as well as
regents and mayors from all over the province.
Having defined the area as a global asset, meaning
responsibility for the protection and preservation of the area
were no longer the responsibility of the government alone, it
would also become the responsibility of the international and
domestic community.
Garut Regent Agus Supriadi acknowledged that forest
destruction in the area initially occurred due to local people
claiming the land, used by PT Condong Hulu, as theirs. But in due
course the locals took over land that extended to the PTPN VIII
rubber plantation and state forestry company Perhutani's teak
forest, right up to the forest reserve.
The Leuweung Sancang Nature Reserve was stipulated
as a nature reserve in Ministry of Forestry Decree
370/Kpts/Um/6, dated June 9, 1978. The area includes Maroko
subdistrict, Pameung peuk district, south of Garut.
Bappenas data shows that Garut has the worst level of forest
destruction compared with the other 25 regencies and mayoralties
in the province, said Agus.
He explained that the damaged areas were not only in Sancang
but also in nearby Cisewu, Cikajang and Cisurupan, totaling
95,000 hectares.
"We have limited funds to restore the forest thus far. It
would be a good idea to establish it as a global asset because
both local and foreign organizations could look after it
together. It would be even better if the international community
were willing to help us," said Agus.
Head of the West Java Forestry Office Endang Supriadi
explained that around 50 percent, or more than 1,000 hectares,
had been damaged. Many flora and fauna species found there, such
as the Java tiger, Java wild ox (Bos sondaicus), deer (Cervus
tomorensis), peacock (Pavo muticus), julang bird (Aceros
undulatus) and leopard (Panthera pardus), as well as the rare
Kaboa plant (Lumnitzera racemosa), exclusive only to Sancang, had
to be protected.
"The idea of turning it into a global asset was submitted long
ago to the Directorate General of Conservation and Forest
Protection, but there has still been no response," said Endang.
In the meantime, to reduce the land appropriation problem, the
forestry office has allowed local people in the area to cultivate
natural silk and haramay (a cotton substitute).