By: Davit Purwodesrantau

Palangka Raya - Support for the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut Protected Forest (HL) to become a National Park is getting stronger. This time the Damang Heads of Adat throughout North Barito Regency declared their support for the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut HL.

The process of changing the function of HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut is currently still experiencing obstacles in seeking proposals for changes in forest functions from the Governor of Central Kalimantan. Until now, the Governor of Central Kalimantan, H. Sugianto Sabran, has not issued a proposal to change the function of Lampeong Protected Forest into a National Park to the Minister of Environment and Forestry, although the technical considerations of the Provincial Forestry Service and the recommendations of the North Barito Regent have been issued long ago. In fact, the community around the area has proposed and is supported by the Regional Government of North Barito Regency.

Seeing this process, the Damang Kepala Adat throughout North Barito Regency declared their support for the change of function of HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut into a National Park, last Thursday (15/6). The declaration was made during the Coordination Meeting of Damang Kepala Adat throughout North Barito Regency in Lampeong, Gunung Purei District, North Barito Regency on June 15, which was also attended by the Regent of North Barito H Nadalsyah.

Sahayuni Damang, the customary chief of Gunung Purei, said that this declaration was a form of their concern and support for efforts to protect and preserve the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut HL area. "HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut is a sacred forest and cultural site of the Kaharingan belief that should be protected," said Sahayuni.

In addition, continued Sahayuni, HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut is ecologically important because it is a regulator of water regime for several important rivers in three provinces namely Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. "So there is no problem if the function is changed to a National Park," he said.

Meanwhile, H Nadalsyah, Regent of North Barito, said that his party still supports the community to propose the conversion of the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut HL function into a National Park. "We still support the proposal to change the function of HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut into a national park biosphere reserve area. Given the natural conditions that are still maintained, this area becomes a water tower and supplies clean water and oxygen for the surrounding community," Nadalsyah said in his speech.

The contents of the declaration are 1) The Damang Kepala Adat of North Barito Regency fully support the protection and preservation of the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut Protected Forest Area as a Sacred Forest, Kaharingan Belief Cultural Site, and Strategic Environmental Buffer Forest; 2). The Damang Kepala Adat of North Barito Regency request the Governor of Central Kalimantan to immediately sign a proposal letter to the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia on the proposal to Change the Function of Lampeong-Gunung Lumut Protected Forest into a National Park, as mandated by Government Regulation No. 104 of 2015 based on the request of the Regent of North Barito, No. 000/L039.a/BLH/Xl/ZAt6, Dated November 28, 2016.

Previously, on November 7, 2013, the North Barito Regional Government had submitted a document proposing to change the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut Protected Forest Area into a National Park to the Directorate General of Forest and Natural Area Protection, Ministry of Forestry. Increasing the status of the Gunung Lumut area as a National Park is with a Biosphere Reserve management pattern in order to have a stronger legal umbrella.

The submission of this document was completed after the Regency Government received a letter of recommendation from the Governor of Central Kalimantan on July 24, 2013 Number: 522/1264/Dishut. The Technical Consideration Letter of the Head of the Forestry and Plantation Service of North Barito Regency dated August 24, 2009 Number 47/DISHUTBUN/IV/I/2009, the Recommendation of the North Barito Regency DPRD Number DPRD.B.15/10/2010 dated April 12, 2010, as well as the North Barito Regent's proposal in a letter dated August 21, 2010 Number 671.A.990/2010 proposing an increase in the status of the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut Protected Forest area to become a National Park have also long been issued.

The Governor of Central Kalimantan has issued a recommendation on July 24, 2013 Number 522/1264/Dishut on the basis of Technical Consideration of the Head of the Central Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service and a letter dated March 26, 2013 Number 522.1.100/484/Dishut has also been pocketed as a condition for submitting the forest area to become a national park.

Then on June 10, 2016, the North Barito Regency Government held an audience with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, which was received by the Director of Forest Area Stipulation and Management. The proposed area of Gunung Lumut National Park is ± 24,423 ha. And now we are just waiting for the recommendation letter from the Governor of Central Kalimantan. If the recommendation letter is issued, then we just have to wait for the assessment from the integrated team to Gunung Lumut.

The people in Muara Mea and Berong villages, which are near the HL Lampeong-Moss Mountain area, mostly still adhere to the Kaharingan belief. They still uphold the ancestral culture in their lives. They believe that the Gunung Lumut area has historical value and is a place for the spirits of the deceased to rest and cleanse, including the spirits of their ancestors, before heading to the sky or heaven.

The geographical position of HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut in the mountains makes it ecologically important because it is a regulator of water regime for several important rivers in three provinces namely Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. In addition, its preserved natural conditions make this area a water tower and supply clean water and oxygen to the surrounding community.

Concerns have arisen since several years ago when mining companies began exploration in the area and the activities of palm oil companies are getting closer to the protected forest located in Gunung Purei / Gunung Timang District, North Barito Regency.

The villagers then realized that the status of protected forest was not enough to deter the owners of capital and power. Therefore, since 2005 the initiative to propose changes to the Lampeong-Gunung Lumut HL area by the community supported by the North Barito Regency Government to become a national park biosphere reserve area has been running.

WWF Indonesia Central Kalimantan Program Manager Rosenda Chandra Kasih, who is familiarly called Sendy, explained that WWF's involvement in proposing protected areas to become national parks based on the community's desire to protect areas that have high biodiversity is in line with the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative program or also the Heart of Borneo Region.

"From the results of the mapping of high conservation areas, WWF sees Central Kalimantan can become a window display conservation. Therefore, we continue to guard the proposal for HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut to become a national park," he said.

There are several economic benefits for the community due to the protection of this area. HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut has a source of fast flowing freshwater fish and there are indications of karts content in it. Sendy explained, this was based on the study of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences which conducted an expedition in 2003-2004, it was found that there was an indication of the karts area as a water reservoir and there were at least 42 types of freshwater fish in the area. "There are endemic fish that should be protected such as Lummi fish and Sapan fish which are already rare and have high economic value. Currently, if we cast a net once in the Luang River at the foot of Mount Lumut, we will catch no less than 3 kg of fish. In addition, the karts area is important as a water reservoir," Sendy explained.

In addition, there is still a lot of biodiversity in the area. For example, gibbons and 5 types of hornbills can still be found and there are several rare animals such as deer, bulls, clouded leopards, and jungle cats believed to still exist in the HL Lampeong-Gunung Lumut area. In this area too, said Sendy, is a place for several types of medicinal plants (ethnobotany) of the local community.

For more information, please contact:
Ambang Wijaya | Muller Schwaner Arabela Landscape Leader
Email : awijaya@wwf.id
Mobile Phone : 0811 5209 959

John Terry Muller Schwaner Field Officer WWF ID Kalteng
Email : jterry@wwf.id
Mobile Phone : 0811 5200 523