Pro-PLASMA

FINAL PROJECT STATUS BRIEF 2001

Empowering Local Communities and Restructuring Forest Production to Conserve Biodiversity and Support Local Livelihoods in East Kalimantan

Yayasan PLASMA (Pengembangan Lingkungan Hidup dan Sumberdaya Manusia)
Jl Juanda 1/8, Samarinda 75124
Tel/Fax: (62) (0541) 761 245 Fax: 739 071
E-mail: danum@smd.mega.net.id

Geographical focus

Bulungan, Kabupaten Berau, Kutai, and Pasir districts, East Kalimantan

Tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests

Commencing April 1999

Endowed with the second greatest expanse of tropical rain forests in the world, Indonesia also has an alarming rate of deforestation estimated at one million hectares annually. Evidence indicates that one of the main causes of this rapid deforestation is due to logging concessions that violate their contracts and grossly degrade the forests they work in. Logging concessions are granted centrally from Jakarta, and in most cases deny the local communities access to the forests. Often, these concessions encroach on lands that traditionally were the communal rights of local communities. Ironically it is these communities who also must bear the most direct impacts of degraded forest environments.

In order to address these problems, a network known as Pro-Bela has been established to monitor these forest concessions and create transparency in the forest sector. It consists of Telapak, Yayasan Leuser Lestari (YLL) in North Sumatra, Lembaga Pembinaan Lingkungan dan Sumberdaya Manusia (PLASMA) in East Kalimantan, and Yayasan Lingkungan Hidup Irian Jaya (YALI) in Irian Jaya. PLASMA plays an important role within this network to monitor and investigate forest concessions in East Kalimantan. Results already achieved include a monitoring and investigation toolbox that has been field tested; training modules for use of the toolbox that have been field tested; baseline data from the three project sites that have been consolidated and are managed in an ongoing geographical information system; and an outreach strategy to promote success stories and lessons learned.

In this phase of the project, there are three key objectives:

Improved capacity to conduct monitoring and investigation of forest concessions in East Kalimantan.
Effectively use results of the forest concessions monitoring and investigations to identify and support strategic forest management and policy reform initiatives, and to develop campaign skills.
Able to manage data from forest concessions monitoring and investigations in order to provide significant support to alternative management and policy initiatives, and to gain broader public support for "fair forests management".

Since Pro-Bela's East Kalimantan node is now receiving funds directly from BSP-Kemala, and not through Telapak, a significant amount of time was spent in preparing for this expansion of PLASMA's activities. Since January, in addition to six new investigators being hired, a new office was established. Accounting, communications and other systems were also set up. Between January and September 2000, they have focused on strengthening the new investigation team. The team has participated in office-based training on the context, aims and methods of investigations and in computer and other skills. They have also gained practical field experience and training in conducting field investigations. They have launched investigations in two news sites in the Bulungan District and Kutai District (in concessions held by PT MSI and PT Limbang Ganesia respectively). They have also visited PT Roda Mas's concession in Kutai to monitor and conduct follow up investigations.

During this period, data was collected on forest conversion trends and numerous violations - for example, cutting outside permit blocks, cutting banned species and putting in illegal roads and skids. Much of these data were analyzed and presented in two papers given at the multi-stakeholder workshop (Government, NGOs, Donors, Community Members) organized by PLASMA and other NGOs in August.

PLASMA has produced a brief guideline for monitoring and investigation, to complement the Pro-Bela monitoring and investigation toolbox. Demand for this guideline among NGOs in East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan is high. Visits were made to other provinces in Kalimantan to discuss the Pro-Bela concept with local NGOs. As a result several NGOs in South Kalimantan committed to join the Pro-Bela netwok, and conduct investigations in their province, and they are now called Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam Hayati (PSDAH). PLASMA has approached provincial offices of the Department of Forestry and Plantation Estate, the Forestry Service and several companies to get baseline data about forestry and plantation estate regulations, and investment plans in East Kalimantan. They also conducted an investigation into a timber concession in Kutai district, East Kalimantan, uncovering several breaches of permits and regulations, as well as a host of negative impacts upon the local community.

[ Bantaya ] - [ ELSAM ] - [ FPK ] - [ Hualopu ] - [ JKPP ] - [ Jaring Pela ] - [ KalBar SHK ]

[ Kemala ] - [ KonPenMA ] - [ KPA ] - [ KPSHK ] - [ LATIN ] - [ LMAA ] - [ LPPMA ]

[ Pancurkasih ] - [ PLASMA ] - [ Pro Plasma ] - [ PUTER ] - [ RMI ] - [ Telapak ] - [ WWF Sahul ]

[ YBAW ] - [ YLBHI ] - [ YPLHC ] - [ YTM ]



	FINAL PROJECT STATUS BRIEF 2001

Project	Empowering Local Communities and Restructuring Forest Production to Conserve Biodiversity and Support Local Livelihoods in East Kalimantan
Partner	Yayasan PLASMA (Pengembangan Lingkungan Hidup dan Sumberdaya Manusia) Jl Juanda 1/8, Samarinda 75124 Tel/Fax: (62) (0541) 761 245 Fax: 739 071 E-mail: danum@smd.mega.net.id
Geographical focus	Bulungan, Kabupaten Berau, Kutai, and Pasir districts, East Kalimantan
Biome	Tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests
Timing	Commencing April 1999
Description	Endowed with the second greatest expanse of tropical rain forests in the world, Indonesia also has an alarming rate of deforestation estimated at one million hectares annually. Evidence indicates that one of the main causes of this rapid deforestation is due to logging concessions that violate their contracts and grossly degrade the forests they work in. Logging concessions are granted centrally from Jakarta, and in most cases deny the local communities access to the forests. Often, these concessions encroach on lands that traditionally were the communal rights of local communities. Ironically it is these communities who also must bear the most direct impacts of degraded forest environments. In order to address these problems, a network known as Pro-Bela has been established to monitor these forest concessions and create transparency in the forest sector. It consists of Telapak, Yayasan Leuser Lestari (YLL) in North Sumatra, Lembaga Pembinaan Lingkungan dan Sumberdaya Manusia (PLASMA) in East Kalimantan, and Yayasan Lingkungan Hidup Irian Jaya (YALI) in Irian Jaya. PLASMA plays an important role within this network to monitor and investigate forest concessions in East Kalimantan. Results already achieved include a monitoring and investigation toolbox that has been field tested; training modules for use of the toolbox that have been field tested; baseline data from the three project sites that have been consolidated and are managed in an ongoing geographical information system; and an outreach strategy to promote success stories and lessons learned. In this phase of the project, there are three key objectives: Improved capacity to conduct monitoring and investigation of forest concessions in East Kalimantan. Effectively use results of the forest concessions monitoring and investigations to identify and support strategic forest management and policy reform initiatives, and to develop campaign skills. Able to manage data from forest concessions monitoring and investigations in order to provide significant support to alternative management and policy initiatives, and to gain broader public support for "fair forests management".
Results	Since Pro-Bela's East Kalimantan node is now receiving funds directly from BSP-Kemala, and not through Telapak, a significant amount of time was spent in preparing for this expansion of PLASMA's activities. Since January, in addition to six new investigators being hired, a new office was established. Accounting, communications and other systems were also set up. Between January and September 2000, they have focused on strengthening the new investigation team. The team has participated in office-based training on the context, aims and methods of investigations and in computer and other skills. They have also gained practical field experience and training in conducting field investigations. They have launched investigations in two news sites in the Bulungan District and Kutai District (in concessions held by PT MSI and PT Limbang Ganesia respectively). They have also visited PT Roda Mas's concession in Kutai to monitor and conduct follow up investigations. During this period, data was collected on forest conversion trends and numerous violations - for example, cutting outside permit blocks, cutting banned species and putting in illegal roads and skids. Much of these data were analyzed and presented in two papers given at the multi-stakeholder workshop (Government, NGOs, Donors, Community Members) organized by PLASMA and other NGOs in August. PLASMA has produced a brief guideline for monitoring and investigation, to complement the Pro-Bela monitoring and investigation toolbox. Demand for this guideline among NGOs in East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan is high. Visits were made to other provinces in Kalimantan to discuss the Pro-Bela concept with local NGOs. As a result several NGOs in South Kalimantan committed to join the Pro-Bela netwok, and conduct investigations in their province, and they are now called Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam Hayati (PSDAH). PLASMA has approached provincial offices of the Department of Forestry and Plantation Estate, the Forestry Service and several companies to get baseline data about forestry and plantation estate regulations, and investment plans in East Kalimantan. They also conducted an investigation into a timber concession in Kutai district, East Kalimantan, uncovering several breaches of permits and regulations, as well as a host of negative impacts upon the local community.