West Papua Forestry Service holds coaching clinic to prepare forest management plan (RPHJP)

Following the issuance of the Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. 113/MENLHK/SETJENT/PLA.2/2/2022 on the Designation of Management Units Areas for Protected Forest Management and Production Forest Management Units for the Province of West Papua, the management areas of forest management units (KPH) are no longer based on watersheds but are instead now based on administrative areas. This means that the areas and number of KPHs in West Papua Province have also changed and now amount to 14 units. As a result of this change, the West Papua Forestry Service held a coaching clinic session for all KPHs operating within the province from 19 - 21 January 2023 in Sorong City, Southwest Papua Province. The purpose of this activity was to assist KPH managers in the preparation of Long-Term Forest Management Plans (RPHJP) and the implementation of forest management in accord-ance with the new regulations. The coaching clinic was the result of a collaboration between the West Papua Forestry Service, the Faculty of Forestry, the University of Papua and GIZ FORCLIME and each of these parties made a significant contribution to the event.

The meeting was opened by the Head of the West Papua Provincial Forestry Service, Ir. Runaweri F.H., MM., and was also attended by officials from the new province of Southwest Papua, as well as by the Head of the Environment, Forestry and Agrarian Service, Julian Kelly Kambu, ST., M.SI.

During the event, resource persons from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) presented various types of information and knowledge, as follows:

1. Ir. Roni Saeful-lah Burhani, M.Sc. from the Directorate of Forest Utilization Planning, MoEF delivered an explanation of Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 8 of 2021.
2. Ir. Eleonora Purwanty, M.M. from the Directorate of Forest Utilization Planning, MoEF delivered a presentation on planning and forest management in KPH areas.
3. Ir. Eleonora Purwanty, M.M. and Indah Diana Puspita, S.Hut., M.E. from the Directorate of Forest Utilization Planning, MoEF offered insights into and an outline of the development of an RPHJP document.
4. Syarifuddin S.Hut. from the Center for the Consolidation of Forest Areas and Environmental Management (BPKHTL) at Manokwari, MoEF offered a presentation on Thematic Geospatial Information and Forest Planning in West Papua Province.

Another resource person in attendance was the Head of the West Papua Forest Service, Ir. Runaweri F.H., M.M., who shared information on the Development of KPH in West Papua Province. In addition, the Forestry Faculty Team from the University of Papua presented methods for the making of inventories in relation to various bio-geophysical and social, economic and cultural aspects.

Various notes relating to the development of a forest management plan resulted from the three-day meeting, as follows:

• Acceleration teams for RPHJP Preparation for Forest Management Units (KPH) in West Papua Province and Southwest Papua Province will be established.
• Data centers for the preparation of the KPH RPHJP at the West Papua Province Forest Service and the Environment, Forestry and Agrarian Service of Southwest Papua Province will be established.
• The West Papua Provincial Forestry Service and the Southwest Papua Provincial Environmental, Forestry and Agrarian Service will allocate budgets for the preparation of the RPHJP document, including for the conducting of biogeophysical-socio-cultural surveys, the preparation of forest plans and public consultations.
• The two regional services will also allocate budgets and collaborate with development partners in order to increase the capacities of the HR of KPH through activities such as coaching clinics, training sessions and so on.
• The monitoring of the acceleration of forest management plan (RPHJP) development by KPH in the provinces of West Papua and Southwest Papua will be carried out by the Directorate of Forest Utilization Planning Development at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

For more information, please contact:
Nita Yohana, Adviser for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for West Papua Province
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces

FORCLIME and Wasur National Park prepare activities for supported villages during 2023

In order to continue with support for Forest Farming Groups (KTH) in Yanggandur Village and Wasur Village, Merauke, FORCLIME recently coordinated with the Wasur National Park (NP) Management to discuss various priorities that will be jointly implemented within the two villages during 2023. This coordination meeting was held on Wednesday, 11 January 2023 at the Wasur NP office and was led by the Head of the Wasur NP Management, Mr. Yarman, S.Hut, M.P.

The meeting commenced with an evaluation of the various activities that were undertaken during 2022. Said activities involved FORCLIME support for the dissemination of information about the programme based on the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the strengthening of the capacities of KTH so that they can better manage their areas, institutions and businesses. FORCLIME also facilitated a study visit to a KTH in West Bali, as well as to an exhibition in Jayapura. The KTH in Wasur are focusing on the development of nature-based tourism services, orchid cultivation and the development of sarang semut tea. Sarang semut or Myrmecodia spp is a plant that is commonly found in Papua and is believed to have various health benefits. The word, “Myrmecodia” derives from the Greek language and means, “surrounded by ants”. The plant itself features a perforated shape and is indeed used as a nest by ants.

Meanwhile, the Yanggandur group is focusing on the development of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), such as trigona honey, candlenut oil, eucalyptus oil, red fruit oil, shredded tilapia fish and banana-based processed products.

Based on the results of the discussion, FORCLIME will continue to support the capacity strengthening of KTH during 2023 and will also continue to engage in market access analysis. In addition, Mr. Yarman issued instructions aimed at supporting the management of distribution permits and orchid trade permits so that orchid marketing can be undertaken on a broader basis.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Yarman offered his impressions of the villages’ various activities, stating that, "Hopefully, through community development activities in the supported villages, these villages will be able to reap the optimal benefits of NTFP management and ultimately improve their standards of living”.

For more information, please contact:
Theodora F. Resubun, Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua Province
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces

Wasur National Park Management prepares field guidebook on reptiles in the national park area and surroundings

In an effort to improve knowledge management regarding biodiversity within the Wasur National Park (Wasur NP), the Management of the Wasur National Park, supported by FORCLIME, is currently preparing a field guidebook on reptiles living within the national park area and its surroundings. The collection of data for inclusion in the book was initiated by Wasur National Park staff member, Mr. Zaenal Arifin, A.Md, the park’s senior forest ranger. This data was subsequently reviewed by a herpetofauna expert, Burhan Tjaturhadi, S.Sc., M.Sc.

In order to finalize the book, the Wasur National Park Management held a meeting on 10 January 2023 at the Wasur National Park Meeting Room in Merauke, South Papua Province. During the meeting, Mr. Burhan presented the results of his review of various types of reptiles (snakes, turtles, lizards), which were produced from the data collected by the Wasur National Park. Said results encompass the distribution of species, as well as comparisons with the distributions of other species and their statuses.

“This reptile guidebook should prove highly useful because, to date, a significant amount of data has been collected by the Wasur National Park and is set to be documented in the publication of a book that should become a vital source of information, not only for the Wasur National Park but also for Merauke and its surroundings,” stated the Head of Wasur National Park, Yarman S.Hut, M.P., in his opening remarks at the meeting.

During the meeting, Mr Burhan also offered technical guidance to the Wasur National Park staff regarding the identification of various reptile species, including various poisonous and non-poisonous species of snake, as well as the types of data that must be collected in order to identify reptile species. In addition, knowledge of various types of reptiles and their distributions was also disseminated. Staff from the Wasur National Park also presented several findings relating to the identification of various species of frog.

In the wake of this meeting, the Reptile Field Guidebook for the Wasur National Park Area and its surroundings will be finalized and should soon be available to relevant stakeholders.

For more information, please contact:
Theodora F. Resubun, Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua Province
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Papua and West Papua Provinces