Social forestry is a government program which authorizes the right for communities to manage state forests, customary forests, and entitled forest for the purpose of improving community welfare, environmental balance, and socio-cultural dynamics. The authorization of forest management is conducted in the form of management permits on Village Forests (Hutan Desa/HD), Community Plantation Forests (Hutan Tanaman Rakyat/HTR), Community Forests (Hutan Kemasyarakatan/HKM), Customary Forests, and Forestry Partnerships. The technical guideline for developing social forestry is elaborated through the Regulation of Ministry of Environment and Forestry No. P.83/MenLHK/Sekjen/2016.

As of December 2018, Social Forestry in Berau district covers ± 69.447 hectare, making Berau the district which holds the largest area of Social Forestry in East Kalimantan involving: eight Village Forests; one Community Plantation Forest; and one Forestry Partnership.

FORCLIME supports the effort for accelerating the Social Forestry implementation in Forest Management Unit (KPH) Berau Barat, including Tembalang Waterfall Forestry Partnership as the effort to resolve land conflicts and improve community welfare.

Forest Management Unit (KPH) Berau Barat

KPH Berau Barat, located in Berau district, East Kalimantan, manages an area of ± 786.021 hectare based on the Minister of Forestry Decree No: SK. 674/Menhut-II/2011. The permit area includes 11 (eleven) Forest Timber Product Exploitation Permits – Natural Forest (IUPHHK-HA), one Forest Timber Product Exploitation Permit – Industry Plantation Forest (IUPHHK-HTI), and one Forest for Special Purpose (KHDTK) in Labanan. In addition, there is one more permit on Charcoal business (Perjanjian Karya Pengusahaan Batubara/PKP2B) from the national level and nine other permits from district level.

The area certainty of KPH Berau Barat is not strong yet. The function of forest areas (in KPH area) is generally still on the allocation stage neither boundaries nor delineation processes have taken place for neither functional borders nor physical borders for the KPH. Thus, there are several overlaps between IUPHHK and mining permits, between settlements (the old settlement and the transmigration settlement), and many other conflicts caused by tenurial matters.

Social Forestry in KPH Berau Barat

The Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership (DG PSKL) on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Forestry has signed the Decree No. SK.8868/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/PSL.0/12/2018 on Recognition and Protection of Forestry Partnership between Sadar Wisata Allo Malau Group with PT. Inhutani I Unit Labanan II. The purpose of the Forestry Partnership scheme is to assist the Kampung Tepian Buah community sharing revenues gained by the management of the waterfall tourism management, a waterfall which is located within the forest concession area owned by PT. Inhutani I Unit Labanan. This partnership scheme is referring to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No.P.83/Menlhk/setjen/Kum.1/10/2016 about Social Forestry.

The area of Tembalang Waterfall forestry partnership is located along Tembalang river. Within the area, there are 3 different waterfalls with a total area of + 225 hectare located in the concession area of PT. Inhutani I Unit Labanan (UMH Tepian Buah) and administratively located within Kampung Tepian Buah, Berau district, East Kalimantan. Based on the function of the area, the Tembalang waterfall forestry partnership lies within a Limited Production Forest (HPT) and is dominated by Dipterocarpacea spp. (a family of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees used for timber production), and mostly primary and secondary forests. This area is at 150-200m above sea level, with a slope level of 3-15% and wavy topography.

Generally, the partnership includes agreements from each party to share the revenue from the waterfall management; monitoring and evaluation activities about the implementation of the waterfall tourism are conducted periodically.

The forestry partnership has been going on for five years since the Decree was signed and can be extended as long as the validity of the business permit is issued for the IUPHHK-HA PT. Inhutani I Labanan. Furthermore, the extension is based on the result of the evaluation as well as the agreement from both parties. The partnership will be monitored yearly and evaluated every 5 years.

The agreed upon business revenue sharing scheme is as follows: The percentage of a net income of 40% is given to PT. Inhutani I Labanan and 60% to the community /POKDARWIS. The revenue is saved in a special account. The profit from the partnership is given at the end of the year to each party after operational/management costs have been deducted.

Support

FORCLIME supported the activities on the preparation and proposal development to obtain the legal basis for a Forestry Partnership on Tembalang Waterfall Management.

The above-mentioned activities include: area identification, area mapping, raising awareness on the Forestry Partnership scheme, participative mapping, assistance during the process of proposal development, assistance during the technical verification, assistance in preparing and processing the signing of the Forestry Partnership script, training to increase the KPH and community development, assistance in the coordination and communication process between two parties, and support in improving and institutional strengthening for KPH and community institutions.

Way Forward

After obtaining the legal basis, FORCLIME will keep supporting the Social Forestry activity in KPHP Berau Barat via the following activities:

• Supporting the management plan development and institutional strengthening, including: Decree No. SK.8868/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/PSL.0/12/2018 on Recognition and Protection (KULIN) of Forestry Partnership between Sadar Wisata Allo Malau Group and PT. Inhutani I Unit Labanan II; support in the gazettement of the area boundaries; support in forest resource inventory; support in developing blocking; support in developing the management plan of the forestry partnership area; support in human capacity development for management planning and in institutional strengthening for the community institutions and KPH via training and study visits.
• Supporting the business implementation, such as support in establishing the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS); support in business plan development and partnership with other parties; support in human capacity development in business development for community and KPH via training and study visits.

For further information:
Suprianto, Technical Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management
Lutz Hofheinz, Strategic Area Manager for KPH Development
Hamzah, Head of Natural Resources Protection and Conservation, and Community Empowerment (KPH Berau Barat)