Damage to Tesso Nilo National Park Responsibility for KLHK

INDUSTRY.co.id - Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN). Because, legally, the authority of TNTN is under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK).

"Even if inside the Tesso Nilo areas there are people or groups that burn and penetrate, it's a matter of violation because of weak supervision. Legally, the responsibility for the failure of Tesso Nilo management is attached to KLHK," said Professor of Forestry Faculty of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Yanto Santosa in Jakarta, Sunday (7/30/2017).

The responsibility of the KLHK related to the fire of the national park shall be legally equal to the corporation's responsibility whose concession is burned or encroached. The government also has legal responsibility in maintaining concessions.

"If the State forest is burned or encroached for years, that is certainly not a guard."

Therefore, Yanto said, the disadvantaged parties such as the people who live around the Tesso Nilo area and exposed to smoke or land encroachment can sue the government. "Very likely, sue the government in civil or criminal. The park area is the responsibility of the government, "he said.

Yanto added, in the context of national park management, KLHK has environmental protection and management program. The program comes from the central government whose management is submitted to the Head of Tesso Nilo National Park.

That's very clear. That is, TNTN's management and oversight of government responsibility. Therefore, it should be, the government is present to address various environmental and tenure issues there. "Not the opposite instead of 'scolding' other parties," said Yanto.

Yanto said the failure of Tesso Nilo's management also raises major questions about the quality, and expertise of government collaborative partners such as environmental groups such as WWF, Eyes on Forest, Jikalahari and others.

The presence of NGOs to assist in the improvement of the environment and the enhancement of its real wellbeing is with the approval and under the coordination of the government. There is no way they can be there, without the government's blessing.

Therefore, the existence of environmental groups and social NGOs needs to be reviewed. Their presence in TNTN for years did not produce positive results. "There needs to be an evaluation of the tasks and authority of the group there. Find out what they have done to improve the environment and the community and what the results are. If performance does not contribute anything, why they are there," said Yanto.

The Minister of Forestry appointed Tesso Nilo as a National Park through his Decision Letter no. 255 / Menhut-II / 2004. Changes in the function of limited production forest area to TNTN located in Pelalawan Regency and Indragiri Hulu Riau Province covers 38,576 ha.

On October 15, 2009, the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia re-issued Decree No. SK.663 / Menhut-II / 2009 concerning the change of function of limited production forest area of ​​Tesso Nilo forest group of 44,492 ha located in Pelalawan Regency, Riau to National Park As Expansion of TNT at that time, the area of ​​TNTN to about 83,068 ha.

Unfortunately, the area of ​​TNTN continues to decline due to forest and land fires and encroachment and illegal logging. From the initial area of ​​83,068 ha now only 25,000 ha remains.