By: Lie Tangkepayung
Jakarta (31/07)–Cendrawasih National Park is one of the Marine National Park in Papua covering a total area of 1,453,500 hectares. It was declared as National Park by Decree of Forest Ministry No. 472/Kpts-II/1993 reinforced by Decree Number 8009/Menhut-II/2002.  It is located in the administrative districts of Wondama and Nabire. A third of total area located in Nabire while the rest located in Wondama Bay District.
Cendrawasih Bay National Park area urgently need to be conserved since it has high biodiversities and many of the sepcies are critically endangered. They are whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), Green turtles (Chelonia mydasi), Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), dugongs (Dugong dugon), sun fish (Mola-mola), Giant clam (Tridacna gigas), and more than 1000 fish species (for instance: Napoleon fish) and at least 500 coral species.
Referring to Governmental Regulation (PP 68/1998) and P.41/Menhut-II/2008 mentioning that conservation area (including National Park) has to be managed based on management plan. The management plan has been previously determined through plan set up and plan ratification stages. The management plan itself consists of Long Term Management Plan (RPJP) with 20 year-time range called National Park Management Plan (RPTN), Middle Term Management Plan (RPJM) with 5 year-time range called Strategical Plan (Renstra) and Short Term Management Plan  with one year-time range called Annual Plan.
Zonation and RPTN has been initiated since 1998. Then, numbers of meetings had continuosly been organized by involving local communities, religion figures, community figures, academic experts, and local government of Nabire District and Wondama Bay.
A great partnership between BBTNTC and other parties particularly WWF-ID Region Sahul Papua in Cendrawasih Bay Project for the last two years has successfully accelerated those documents set up. The latest update, National Park Management Plan (RPTN) and Zonation of Cendrawasih Bay National Park have been determined according to General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Decree Dated 15 July 2009, SK.121/IV-KK/2009 regarding The Zonation of Cendrawasih Bay National Park.