Deputy Minister Of Environment And Forestry: In 2023 The Determination Of Forest Areas Must Be Completed 100%

Illustration of Jojogan, Pemalang Regency, Central Java (Photo by Muhammad Iqbal on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) must complete the determination of the area by 2023. This is a mandate from Government Regulation Number 23 of 2021 concerning Forestry Implementation as a follow-up to Law Number 11/2020 concerning Job Creation.

As an effort to support the work of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Regulation Number 7 of 2021 dated September 10, 2021 has issued which states that the Acceleration of Completion of Forest Area Inauguration is part of the National Strategic Program in the Economic Equity Program group.

"Forest areas that have not been gazetted have been completed no later than 2 (two) years since the enactment of Government Regulation Number 23 of 2021 concerning Forestry Implementation, meaning that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry must complete the determination of forest areas by 2023," said Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong in his remarks at Briefing on Forest Area Boundary Structuring in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, Kupang, Thursday, November 25, quoted from PPID KLHK.

This policy support is realized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry through the 2021 target, which is to complete 100% of the forest area boundaries for 17 provinces along 14,612.80 km with the potential to designate a forest area of 12,068,427 hectares. Meanwhile, the target until 2023 is 90,928.38 km with the potential for forest area determination in 2021, 2022 and 2023, which is ± 36,363,621 Ha.

"Determination of Forest Areas is an important matter that must be completed to support all national development, especially those included in National Priority Development Activities in National Strategic Projects (PSN)," said Deputy Minister Alue.

Related to this, the Province of NTT is included in the target of completing the determination of forest areas in 2021. The Center for Forest Area Consolidation (BPKH) Region XIV Kupang, as the Task Force for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in consolidating forest areas in NTT Province plans to complete the boundary demarcation with the remaining length, which is 2,253 km.

In order to support the completion of the implementation of the boundary demarcation of the forest area of the NTT province, BPKH Region XIV Kupang received the assistance of measuring personnel from 8 (eight) work units totaling 82 (eighty two) people. Those from the Directorate of Inauguration and Administration of Forest Areas 5 (five) people, BPKH Region II Palembang 10 (ten), BPKH Region VI Manado 4 (four) people, BPKH Region VII Makassar 9 (nine) people, BPKH Region VIII Denpasar 20 (twenty) people, BPKH Region XV Gorontalo 14 (fourteen) people, BPKH Region XIX Pekanbaru 15 (fifteen) people, and BPKH Region XX Bandar Lampung 5 (five) people. Meanwhile, there are 26 (twenty six) people available for implementing forest area boundary demarcation of BPKH Region XIV Kupang.

These assistances are a form of strategy for accelerating regional boundary demarcation, which is pursued apart from regulatory support, but also through management support for human resource needs and measuring equipment which is currently being pursued by fulfilling measuring personnel and measuring instruments through assistance from the Regional Stabilization Center. Other forests (BPKH) throughout Indonesia that have completed the boundary demarcation process and through human resource capacity building.

"The participation and support of stakeholders is very much needed to achieve the target of establishing a 100% forest area by 2023," added Deputy Minister Alue.

In addition, other acceleration strategies include support from the Corruption Eradication Commission through the National Strategy for Corruption Prevention, input from experts and intellectuals from the academic community, implementing activities, and active involvement of local governments, as well as communities around the forest.

Because it is included in the National Strategic Program in the Economic Equity Program group, the Acceleration of Completion of Forest Area Inauguration through the process of boundary demarcation, area determination, and area stabilization, must involve the empowerment of local communities as much as possible as a form of the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN).

This is done with the consideration that the activity process, especially in the boundary demarcation process, is an activity that requires the active involvement of local communities, especially in the implementation of boundary demarcation activities in the field, such as field survey assistance, equipment transportation services, measurement work assistance services, making boundary markers. , and other activities.

Important roles in completing the gazettement of forest areas include: The state has clear legal status in the area (forest and non-forest, as well as between forest functions), so that forest area management can be more optimal. Government cq. The Ministry of ATR BPN will also have a more optimal national land management, by minimizing certification intrusion (overlapping) in Forest Areas.

Furthermore, the Provincial/Regency/City Governments will also find it easier to identify forest and non-forest areas, making it easier to plan, use, and utilize space that is very much needed, especially in the context of regional development investment. Then from the side of the community living around the forest area, they will have certainty over the boundaries of their owned land with the state forest area, and finally, for the business world, they will get increased certainty of their land assets, because they have clarity on the boundaries of the land they cultivate with the state forest area.

In order to achieve the goal of ensuring the status of the rights of the parties to the forest area, the process of establishing the forest area must always involve the community at the site level actively.

"The sub-district head, village head and community also play a role in the inventory of ownership rights in the field, so that the inauguration process can be carried out fairly and accompanied by explanations, as well as an understanding of the legal consequences, that the area is legally, legitimate and acceptable and designated as Forest Area," concluded Deputy Minister Alue.

Also present at this event were Expert Staff of the Minister of Environment and Forestry for Energy, Special Staff of the Minister of Environment for Public Education on Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability, and Secretary of the Directorate General of Forestry Planning and Environmental Management (PKTL) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.