Forest Farmer Group of 6 Villages from East Java Submits Social Forestry Application to KLHK
Jakarta, February 6, 2023. Forest farmer groups from six villages from Mojokerto Regency, Malang Regency, and Batu City, East Java submitted an application for approval of social forestry management to the Minister of Environment and Forestry.
"This afternoon we have submitted and received well, the letter and files of the proposed application for approval of social forestry management with a total proposed area of 2,604.43 Ha for 2,819 heads of families involved in managing and legally accessing the forest area. We submitted this social forestry application because it is in line with the national strategic program related to the implementation of agrarian reform," said Slamet who is the Head of KTH Alas and also the Head of the East Java AP2SI Provincial Management Board.
"We also submit this request as a form of effort to obtain clarity on the boundaries and legal status of the forest area in our village, as well as a form of recognition and protection of the people's managed areas by the state," he said.
Ari from KTH Manunggal Lestari Banturejo Malang Regency added, "Currently, residents in our village have actually been utilizing forest land for a long time for agroforestry activities and utilization of environmental services, especially for water source protection, this is the same as what has also been done by colleagues from the Pesanggrahan Village Forest Management, Batu City, but we have been worried because there is no legal status for land use in the forest area in our village." He said.
Roni Usman, the general chairman of AP2SI, who accompanied the forest farmer group to submit the application for social forestry approval, also said, "Although the derivative regulations of PP No. 23 of 2021 concerning Forestry Implementation and Permen LHK No. 9 of 2021, especially regarding the technical aspects of social forestry in forest areas with special management / KHDPK on the island of Java, villagers in or around forest areas continue to submit applications for social forestry, this shows that there is great hope that their people's management areas through the social forestry mechanism can be recognized and protected by the state, so it is important that their applications can be followed up immediately by the government through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry," he added.
