Sepakat Jaya Village, October 2, 2023 – The Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD) Lemmanis held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the zoning and structuring of the village forest area at the Sepakat Jaya Village Office. Relevant stakeholders attending the FGD included local government, the South Ketapang Forest Management Unit (UPT KPH), CFES, and the local community. The FGD aimed to raise awareness and understanding among the community regarding village forest management, to socialize policies related to village forests, particularly the zoning and management plans, and to identify steps needed to carry out the structuring of village forest areas.
One of the topics discussed in the FGD was about efforts to strengthen community participation in managing village forest areas. FGD participants agreed that active community involvement is crucial in preserving village forests. Therefore, the implementation of zoning must ensure that the established rules are properly followed. In addition, the FGD also addressed the importance of ongoing monitoring and evaluation of village forest zoning. Participants agreed that the structuring of village forest areas must be dynamic and able to adapt to changes in environmental and socio-economic conditions. Hence, regular monitoring and periodic evaluations are needed to ensure that the measures taken have a positive impact on forest sustainability and community welfare.
In this FGD, participants also expressed concerns about the low level of public awareness regarding the importance of conserving village forests. Therefore, continuous education and outreach on the importance of village forests must be carried out. FGD participants hoped that in the future, no more land clearing activities would occur in village forest areas, and that the community would become the front line in preserving and actively managing their village forests.
In conclusion, the Lemmanis village forest area, which directly borders neighboring villages, has yet to be defined administratively and requires boundary marking to avoid potential conflict. Therefore, a follow-up plan is needed to address this issue, including socializing village forest management policies, holding meetings between local village governments to determine overlapping forest boundaries, and forming a group or team to carry out comprehensive boundary marking, especially in areas that border other village forests.
Village forests are a complex effort that requires collaboration among multiple parties. Community participation, cooperation with the private sector, and continuous monitoring and evaluation are key to effectively and sustainably managing village forest areas. It is hoped that this FGD will result in strategic steps toward structuring the village forest area in Sepakat Jaya Village for environmental sustainability and community well-being.