Minister Of Transportation Pursues Restoration Of 31 Thousand Hectares Of The TN Tesso Nilo Conservation Area
JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni ensured that efforts to restore Tesso Nilo National Park will continue, with an initial focus on the 31 thousand hectares of land to protect the habitat of the animals in it including the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).
"The restoration process of Tesso Nilo National Park continues. We continue to work to ensure that Domang and his friends are not disturbed and they can live in the wild," said Minister ofhut Raja Juli Antoni as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 28.
As a form of restoration effort, the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli has planted a review at Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau today. The Deputy Minister of Forestry (Wamenhut) Rohmat Marzuki has also done the same in a review a few weeks ago.
He said the restoration would focus on covering an area of 31 thousand hectares, which would later develop to 80 thousand hectares in Tesso Nilo National Park.
"God willing, as soon as possible it will start, Mr. Deputy Minister yesterday, three weeks ago, the restoration process for the Tesso Nilo area, the plan is 511 hectares. Yesterday I also mentioned that there have been a commitment of 7 thousand more to be planted. God willing, in the past 31 thousand, what we are restoring will be the main focus, later we can slowly go to 80 thousand national parks as in the last decree, "said the Minister of Transportation.
Minister of Forestry said President Prabowo Subianto had ordered the Forest Area Control Task Force (PKH) to restore Tesso Nilo as a habitat for Sumatran elephants.
Admitting that he was aware of the resistance from the community, he said that the problems that occurred at Tesso Nilo were not a problem that had just emerged.
He said that with a persuasive approach, later in December as many as 394 families would be relocated to the prepared location. The Minister of Forestry ensured that Tesso Nilo National Park was a home for Sumatran elephants so that it needed to be guarded together.
"We know that there is resistance from the community, but with a persuasive approach over the past 5 months, God willing, by mid-December we will begin to reallocate friends, especially in 31 thousand hectares in the core area," he said.
Not only that, residents will also move to a place that will indeed be legalized for them.
"But once again it is not in the National Park that has been designated by the government as a National Park and also a home for the Sumatran Elephants, whose condition is very concerning," he added.
The Minister of Forestry expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the community and netizens who continued to voice and assist the restoration of Tesso Nilo National Park.