The Forest Management UnitAchieving Improved Forest Governance in Indonesia

BACKGROUND

To improve forest governance and sustainable forest management, Indonesia established Forest Management Units (FMUs) across the country. The primary concept underlying the creation of the FMUs is the separation of administrative function by local forestry offices and management function by the FMUs.

The FMUs are classified into: Production, Conservation and Protection FMUs, following the classification of forests areas in Indonesia. The government has a goal of establishment of a total of 600 forest management units. The first step towards this goal is the establishment of 120 model FMUs around the country with a total area of 12,367,866 hectares.

The FMUs have the following responsibilities:1. Forest use planning and preparation of forest management plans,2. Forest utilisation and forest area use in terms of monitoring and control of permit holders,3. Forest utilisation in certain areas not covered by third party interests4. Forest rehabilitation and reclamation, and5. Forest protection and nature conservation.

The FMUs are the lowest forest management units in Indonesia and is the unit closest to the communities. In performing the above tasks, the FMUs are expected to liaise with multiple

THE FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT: ACHIEVING IMPROVED FOREST GOVERNANCE IN INDONESIA

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stakeholders including local government, communities, NGOs, investors and the private sector.

SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE FMUs

One of the Multi stakeholders Forestry Programme Phase 3 (MFP 3) objectives is to strengthen community access to forest resources. This is delivered through support to the work of the FMUs:

• Enhancing stakeholder awareness about the roles of the FMUs

• Improve knowledge and skills of FMU managers on social issues within the FMU area

• Supporting creation of Long Term Forest Management Plan

• Facilitating institutional support and capacity building of FMU entity

• Facilitating community groups as FMU partners, through, among others, capacity building, participatory mapping, and facilitation of conflict resolution processes

• Facilitating agreement between stakeholders on creation of standard mechanisms for participatory mapping and conflict resolution, among others through development of communication strategy for conflict resolution and demarcation determination processes.

MFP3 support is focused to the following FMUs:

• Benakat Bukit Cogong FMU, South Sumatra, in Region I

• Alor Pantar FMU, East Nusa Tenggara, in Region II

• Banjar FMU, South Kalimantan, in Region III

• Poigar FMU, North Sulawesi, in Region IV

PROFILESBenakat Bukit Cogong FMU, South Sumatra

The Benakat Bukit Cogong Production Forest Management Unit covers an area of 271,434.32 hectares in South Sumatra, encompassing six regencies/cities and within them, 97 villages. The area consists of acacia, rubber and palm oil plantations, farming land and mining areas.

Aside from indigenous tribes, there are migrant communities from Java living in the area. The majority of the population work as farmers and labourers, while a small minority work as small-traders, government employees, or workers in home industries. The villages are headed by the village chief, and the community is informally led by local and customary community leaders appointed through collective majority.

Benakat Bukit Cogong FMU has allocated an area for a Community Plantation Forest covering an area of 20,325 hectares. The timber potential of this area includes red balam, white balam, medang (Litsea amara Blurne), meranti (Shorea mecitoteryx Ridle), simpur, and bengkal. According to the South Sumatra Forestry Office, there are 86 private

THE FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT: ACHIEVING IMPROVED FOREST GOVERNANCE IN INDONESIA

enterprises that generate businesses from primary forest products.

Benakat Bukit Cogong continues to develop definite partnerships with local residents. The FMU plans to further develop rubber, matoa, gaharu, rattan, manau and sega rattan plantations, while conserving trembesi trees.

Alor Pantar FMU, East Nusa Tenggara

Located in the regency of Alor, in the province of east Nusa Tenggara, this FMU encompasses forests on two large islands, the Alor Island and the Pantar Island. This FMU was designated as Protected Forest Management covering an area of 104,334 hectares, encompassing primary mangrove forest, secondary dry lands forest, dry land farming, plantations and nurseries, and brush and overgrowth. According to its Long Term Forest Management Plan, the Alor Pantar Protected Forest Management Unit has allocated a portion of the area for Production Forest covering 51,960.19 hectares, or 50 per cent of the land area of the FMU.

With a characteristic of a large dry land farming area, the FMU has great potential for creation of Community Forest, Community Plantation Forest, and Village Forest. The Alor Pantar Long Term Forest Management Plan

has allocated 17,951.81 hectares for these plans. The region has timber potential for teak wood, ampupu, kenari, hamajang, and redwood. Non-timber forest products include wild honey, candlenut, areca nut, cashew nut, and cloves.

The majority of inhabitants living in the FMU are farmers, fisher people, or make a living out of home industry. Forest management in the area is based on a number of firmly entrenched local and traditional values, which safeguard the forest. A majority of the population are indigenous Alor people who have lived there for generations.

The Alor Pantar FMU is funded from the Regional Budget Allocation.

Banjar FMU, South KalimantanThe Banjar FMU covers an area of 139,958 hectares. It is located in the regency of Banjar, and the major portion of the forest is secondary dry land woods, brush and overgrowth, plantation forest, residential areas, mining/former mining locations, and dry land farming. The area has 1,377.4 hectares of primary forest.

The population within the Banjar FMU comprises several ethnic groups and most of them make their living out of dry land farming. The majority of the people also use the forest for field cultivation, and planting paddy and vegetables. They also plant rubber, candlenuts,

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRYREPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Multistakeholder Forestry ProgrammeManggala Wanabhakti Building, Block VII, 6th Fl.Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta 10270, INDONESIAP: +62 21 573 7094Dipo Business Center, 9th Fl., Unit BJl. Jend. Gatot Subroto Kav 50-52Jakarta 10260 INDONESIAP: +62 21 29866400-1 | F: +62 21 29866402E: mfp@mfp.or.id | W: www.mfp.or.id

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and fruits such as durian, cempedak, mango, jackfruit, also kitchen spices, such as ginger, kencur, temu lawak and kapulaga, and a community oil palm plantation.

The Banjar FMU has potential for acacia, sengon, teak, jabon, and rubber. A large portion of the FMU has been allocated and utilised for Industrial Plantation Forest, coal mining, Village Forest and Community Plantation Forest. Non-timber forest products include wild honey, wildlife hunting, aren, rattan, and gaharu. These non-timber products are in general derived from forests surrounding residential areas.

In its Long Term Forest Management Plan, Banjar FMU accommodates the community’s needs to develop Plantation and Community Forestry. The FMU also facilitates partnership with residents. In the vicinity are several wood and sawmill enterprises for timber below 6,000 cubic meters annually.

Poigar FMU, North Sulawesi

The Poigar FMU covers a total area 41,597 hectares, consisting of this FMU encompasses two regencies, the regency of South Sulawesi and the Bolaang Mongondow regency. Poigar FMU has 48 per cent primary and secondary dry land, while the rest are dry land farming area, plantation, brush, and a handful of residential area.The population is mostly made up of

the ethnic groups of Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow, Gorontalo, Sangir Talaud and Bolang Itang. The community still adheres strictly to ancient values to keep harmony with nature, known as the mapalus. The communities make their living out of field cultivation and nurseries, with crops mainly comprising coconuts, aren, chilli, cloves and fruits, such as rambutan and durian.

In its Long Term Plan, Poigar FMU allocated 4,291 hectares for Community Plantation Forest and a block for community utilization covering 13,041 hectares under partnership with the FMU. Poigar FMU has timber potential including sengon, jabon, mahoni, meranti, leda/ampupu, kenanga and heirloom cempaka. Minahasa is a production centre of knockdown stilt housing, particularly in Tomohon, which services both domestic and international markets. Poigar is expected to meet the timber demands of this lively industry.

Currently Poigar is partly supported by the Regional Budget.