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).