National park forests not free from looting

National park forests not free from looting

By Sutha Sastradhinata

DENPASAR, Bali (Antara): Hundreds of locals looted the forest of the West Bali National Park, Jembrana district, some 120 kilometers west of here, triggering a strong reaction from many Balinese, particularly environmentalists.

These locals who plundered the forest divided the land into plots measuring an average of 5,000 m2 each, and then put up stakes around their plots of land, an act that many fear will damage the environment and disrupt the ecosystem in the national park.

In response, Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha this land grab could never be justified, whatever the reasons might be, because it violated the regulations and was harmful to conservation efforts and the forest's ecosystem.

However, before the provincial administration takes any steps to address the situation, it has called on those involved to pull up their stakes and clear out of the national park.

"First, we would like to warn and persuade the locals to return the land, and if this fails we will take harsh action," he said.

He said that if persuasion was not fruitful, the provincial administration would ask the Bali Police to take appropriate measures as permitted by the law.

The parceling of land by locals in the national park, he said, was the result of a misunderstanding of the social forest program.

This program, which the Ministry of Forestry has implemented in a number of forest areas in Bali, has standing requirements and procedures participants must comply with.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Military faction at the Bali provincial legislative assembly, I Made Lanus Wirawan, said his faction was coordinating with Bali Police chief Brig. Gen. D Ardjana about dispatching a special committee to West Bali.

A witness said the land parceling has taken place along Gilimanuk road leading to Malaya, in the area from Klatakan up to Sumber Sari.

The locals have intercropped such items as corns on their new parcels of land. Meanwhile, a group of people from Gilimanuk came to the office of West Bali National Park on Oct. 16 to enquire whether they could make use of the forest area to grow crops.

Similar land looting also has occurred in Sumber Rejo, Sumber Kelampok village, Buleleng regency, in North Bali. It took place here in late July and involved an area of some 200 hectares, which have been turned into plots of land used to grow crops.

The head of the West Bali National Park, Soedirun Darto Soewarno, confirmed that part of the forest within the national park had been divided up into plots of land by the locals. But he reiterated that it was not allowed to grow seasonal plants in a forest area.

"We have done our best to brief the locals involved in this land looting," he said.

The national park center, he went on to say, has received a report that there are at least three groups of locals involved in seizing land in West Bali. The first group comprises 250 people, the second 150 people and the third 200 people.

Therefore, he said, the national park wardens have intensified patrols and removed the stakes planted by locals. "The patrols will be conducted every hour," he promised.

Malaya subdistrict head I Wayan Sadnya made similar remarks. He said land parceling in the forests of West Bali started as early as Oct. 2, and that he and his subordinates had tried their best to make the locals realize that forest clearing was against the law.

Tourism industry

Undeniably, the attraction of Bali lies in its unique culture and natural charm, two factors which have made Bali famous the world over. It is therefore regretable that the promotion of the tourist industry in Bali has to be done at the expense of the environment.

The West Bali National Park in Jembrana is virtually barren. Leafy trees have been felled. The pristine water which used to flow in the rivers of Bali and formed part of the daily activities of the Balinese is now contaminated.

Jalak Bali, the Bali Starling, a rare white bird with a small crown on its head and a symbol of this province, is now on the brink of extinction. Other animals unique to the island have become extinct.

The land, the sea, the mountains, the valleys and vast expanses of rice fields, formerly picturesque, have all been damaged in one way or another. Unfortunately, this damage has been brought about by the tourist industry.

In view of this alarming condition, 19 Balinese non- governmental organizations concerned with the environment have taken up this matter with the provincial legislative assembly. These groups claim the construction of tourist facilities in Bali has damaged the environment.

The chairman of the Center for Environmental Research at Udayana University here, IPG Ardhana, said the development of tourism in Bali has never been separated from other factors such as forest areas, which are closely linked with a community's life and at the same time are valuable for the development of the tourist industry.

Well-conserved forest areas make good tourist destinations, he said, adding that unfortunately the community, particularly those in the tourist industry, had little understanding about this matter, evidenced by the deterioration of the forests in Bali.

West Bali National Park is an example that damage to the forest can occur at virtually any time. Forest damage worsens when the locals living in the surrounding areas illegally fell trees, as if in a race with tourist industry operators.

Deforestation, he said, has come about not only because there is a limited number of national park wardens, but rather because the locals have little understanding of the role and function of a forest area. To make matters worse, he added, some people are developing tourist activities in the national park.

Therefore, he went on, his office has urged security officials to conduct raids on a routine basis to prevent illegal logging, mete out heavy sentences for illegal logging and to stop issuing licenses to investors planning to develop the national park as a tourist area.

The community must be involved in the management of the national park, and a special regional regulation should be drawn up to regulate the use of the forest, he said. It is hoped that in this way, some areas within the national park will be restored.

The total forest area in Bali now measures some 131,000 hectares, or about 23.3 percent of the total territory of the island.