Lubuk Basung, W Sumatra (ANTARA) – Some 426 hectares (ha) of the Maninjau Nature Reserve Forest area in Lubukbasung Sub-district, Agam District, West Sumatra Province, were encroached and converted into plantations of palm oil, coffee, rubber, mangosteen, and others.
Of the 426 ha, some 60 ha were used for conversion into oil plantation, over 10 ha for coffee plantation, and three ha for rubber tree plantation, Ade Putra, head of the Agam Natural Resources Conservation Resort (KSDA), stated here on Friday.
Irresponsible residents have encroached upon the forest area for at least the past decade.
On Thursday (July 8), the Agam KSDA Resort along with the Agam Police Criminal Investigation Unit conducted a site check in order to collect materials and information as a basis for further handling.
At the location, the team came across palm oil, rubber, coffee, and other plantations that had borne fruit.
“The joint team is still collecting data on the owners of the gardens in the forest area of the nature reserve and who are involved,” he revealed.
In 2014, a joint team, comprising personnel of the West Sumatra BKSDA, Agam Police, Agam military command (Kodim) 0304, and Agam Ranger, had attempted to bring under control and apply an order over illegal plantations.
However, the efforts were annulled at that time, as the joint team was intercepted and rejected by local villagers.
The North-South Maninjau Nature Reserve Forest spans an area totaling 21,891.78 hectares that stretches between Agam District and Padang Pariaman District, West Sumatra Province.
The nature reserve area chiefly functions as a zone for preserving the diversity of plants and animals and their ecosystem that additionally serves as a life support.
In accordance with existing regulations, nature reserves are chiefly for research and development, science, education, and cultivation support activities.
In a nature reserve area, activities that are banned comprise hunting, importing non-native plant and animal species into the area, cutting, destroying, logging, and digging.
Source: Antara News