Residents, mostly rattan craftsmen and village officials in Mayang village in Jember, East Java, have met to find a solution to frequent raids on rattan suppliers by a joint team from the Meru Betiti National Park (TNMB) and the Besuki Police.

"The joint team has been arresting rattan and bamban *rare rattan endemic to the area* suppliers who supply craftsmen in Sumberjeding village," Sujari, head of the Mayang Village Deliberations Board, said Monday.

He added Sumberjeding residents deeply regretted the raids.

"Why were they never informed about the raids?" he said, adding park authorities had never told residents it was forbidden to take rattan from the national park.

Sujari said residents had been taking rattan from state-owned forestry firm PT Perhutani's concession, located less than a kilometer from Seputih village.

"There were never any problems before," he said.

However, raw rattan in the area has been badly depleted and can no longer meet the demands of local rattan craftsmen.

Problems arose when residents began taking rattan from the TNMB and also buying it from suppliers in Pesanggaran, Banyuwangi, who also took it from the TNMB in Banyuwangi.

The majority of villagers remain unaware of the purpose of the park.

"They don't understand that even plucking a stalk of grass is regarded as a crime," Sujari said.

He added TNMB authorities should have approached residents and explained to them that what they were doing was against the law. Sujari said he was certain the villagers would have understood the situation, despite the fact a majority of them did not even have an elementary school education.

"If they already understand the problem, we can seek a solution so no one is disadvantaged," he said.

Seputih village chief Satamin expressed concern that if the authorities failed to resolve the issue immediately, it could trigger a conflict due to the key role the rattan crafts industry played in the local economy.

The raids have left rattan craftsmen short of raw materials. The activity is the only means of livelihood for most Sumberjeding villagers.

"Residents can't produce crafts without the raw materials," Sata-min said.

"If they don't produce, they don't earn an income to meet their daily needs."

One of the initiatives brought up during the meeting was rattan cultivation.

"Obtaining rattan from the park is clearly illegal, so why don't we cultivate it ourselves?" Sujari said, adding residents could also benefit the Perhutani concession managed by the LMDH surrounding communities to grow rattan and bamban.

Residents grouped under the LMDH have so far only benefited by growing crops such as cassava.

"If the idea can be realized, the issue will be resolved and residents will not have to worry about obtain raw materials by exploiting the park area," Sujari said.

The park management has previously proposed such a solution.

TNMB official Sumarsono said the park and police would not likely guard the road to Seputih forever. "It would never be effective," he said.

The joint team has only been able to uncover seven cases of rattan theft, between January and May this year, despite residents' claims of receiving at least a truckload of rattan every week.

"There were at least 20 consignments between January and May, meaning 13 of them slipped past our surveillance," Sumarsono said.

He added that forest conversions in the park were part of a reaction that took place due to demand for rattan and bamban.

As long as demand is there, land clearance will persist, he warned.

The TNMB has warmly welcomed the initiative from the Sumberjeding residents and said it would immediately provide bamban and rattan seedlings.

Jember Perhutani head Taufik expressed his readiness to assist residents in cultivating bamban and rattan.

Perhutani's concession near Seputih village spans 12,000 hectares, 5,000 of which are managed by the LMDH.

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