The Pagaralam municipal administration in South Sumatra has found that ownership of about 100 hectares of protected forest on Dempo Mount at Dempo Makmur village in North Pagaralam district has been claimed by individuals.
Many officials of the local administration have held certificates for the ownership of the forest since 2001.
“I don’t know how is the procedure until the ownership of hundreds of hectares of the protected forest changed hands into the individuals. Many parts of the forests have now been converted for agricultural purposes, including for coffee plantations,” Dempo Makmur village head Haryono said on Tuesday as quoted by the Antara news agency.
Haryono said that the change of ownership of forest was discovered during the latest inventory by the local administration.
“The certificates were issued before the status of Pagaralam was changed into a mayoralty and was still part of Lahat regency,” he said.
Haryono said that the condition of the converted forest is very poor in which there are no longer big trees.
“The destructed forest is located at 1,300 to 1,900 meters above the sea level, next to tea plantation belonging to state estate company PTPN VII. The forest has been divided into small plots in line with their owners,” he said.
Haryono further said that the local administration cannot do anything to reprimand the owners of the forest or to order them replant as they hold certificates.
“Legally the owners’ position is quite strong as they have certificates issued by the National Land Agency even though the forest used to belong to the state,” he added.
However, Pagaralam Mayor Djazuli Kuris said that his administration intends to take over the ownership of the protected forest.
The status of the protected forest has been regulated under Law No. 41/1999 so that it is cannot be destroyed. “I don’t know as to how the ownership of the protected forest changes hands under the name of individuals,” Djazuli said.
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