COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT OF BUFFER ZONE FORESTS    GUNUNG PALUNG NATIONAL PARK, WEST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

PARTNERS Harvard University Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Government of Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry Local Communities Bina Swadaya Foundation BCN GRANT $547,500 15 November 1995 through 30 November 1998
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & INCOME GENERATION The project's primary goal is to create a small-scale, community-owned and operated logging operation by: Transferring the rights to cut, process and sell timber from a former, privately-owned and large-scale logging concession to local communities in the Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) buffer zone; Working with legal and illegal "hand-loggers" (who also extract timber from the Park) from nearby villages who are currently supplying larger scale operations; Placing a sawmill in the project area and training community members in its operation and maintenance; and Marketing sawn timber within Indonesia (Semarang and/or Jakarta) and, if cost effective, regionally and internationally. To begin cutting and selling, two things are required: The project requires a Memo of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Forestry; and A community entity must be created so resource use rights can be legally transferred from current concession holders. Getting the MOU took much longer than anticipated and delayed project activities by nearly 2 years. But, on January 15, 1998, the MOU was signed. It is the first of its kind. Now project staff are concentrated on establishing a community entity. Once cutting, processing and selling begins, the project will take advantage of increasing demand for high-quality sawnwood. Prices in real terms have increased 10-15% over the last 5 years. Projected Gross Revenues in Year 1 (probably 1998) Estimated # of Direct Beneficiaries in 1998 $261,864 200+ MONITORING Biological and socioeconomic monitoring is being implemented with the assistance of local community members. Harvard LTFE has 15 years of its own biological data from which to work to measure the project's impact. 6 community members have received training in biological monitoring. Project staff have used the long lead time to refine its socioeconomic monitoring, improve community relationships, and collect useful baseline data. Site Total Area Managed Area Population Sukadana 20,000ha 8,000ha 4,500 (est.)	BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF GPNP The 90,000ha Park contains 10 distinct habitat types, including mangrove, swamp and montane cloud forests. GPNP holds the largest population of orangutans on Borneo and is one of few parks with large populations of proboscis monkeys, which are endemic to Borneo. GPNP has exceptionally high plant diversity (e.g., nearly 70 species of dipterocarp trees, many commercially valuable) The Park is home to all 8 Bornean hornbill species. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY Illegal "hand-logging" within the Park and its buffer zones. Subsistence agricultural encroachment by local farmers. Large and small-scale, commercial agriculture. Fire (exacerbated by commercial agriculture). REPLICABILITY The project is frequently referred to by officials in the Ministry of Forestry as a potential guideline for community forestry because: A detailed, rotational cycle for cutting has been developed; A comprehensive economic and resource valuation model of community forestry in Indonesia was developed by project staff -- a model which can be adapted to other areas; The project will serve as a unique example of a production forest with 2 functions: mixed extraction and conservation;. Many former concession areas have been abandoned and are eligible for transfer to community use and management; Private sector relationships and financing are likely. CURRENT & POTENTIAL POLICY IMPACTS Potentially precedent-setting transfer in Indonesia of an ex-HPH concession (Forest Utilization Rights) to local communities, including the right to a) legally cut and process timber from a production forest using a community-owned and operated sawmill and b) sell sawnwood on the open domestic and international markets. Government recognition of a community entity with the legal right to manage and utilize government-owned forest lands. Develop auditing process by outside agencies to certify sustainability. Collaboration between local Park officials and community members in patrolling the Park and Community Forest Area. Restrict timber harvesting to designated strip while protecting remaining community forest area.
CONTACT INFORMATION Harvard University LTFE, Peabody Museum, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Fax: 1-617-496-8041 Gunung Palung/BCN Project, PO Box 1120, Pontianak, West Kalimantan 78011, Indonesia; Fax 62-561-32757; Email LTFE@pontianak.wasantara.net.id BCN (Jakarta Office): Jl. Madium No. 3, Menteng, Jakarta 10320, Indonesia; Phone/Fax: 62-21-392-6584; E-Mail bcordes@cbn.net.id

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