Windujaya

Windujaya Village is located near Mt. Slamet. It is in Banyumas Regency. Forest farmers usually called as pesanggem in Windujaya have their own group. This group often holds a meeting to discuss about their work, and then look for solutions of their problems in work land.

This farmer group is lead by Naryo, a hard worker for forest conservation. The farmers have agreed that forest conservation is the main purpose. The activities in planting trees to fulfill daily needs are not against with the purpose.

When gathering they usually tell about their experience as farmers. To farm is their life. Therefore they are happy although they work hard to work and open the land will be planted.

However pesanggem (people allowed to work in Perhutani,s forest) in Windujaya are not free from difficulty. They felt given an empty hope. Nasir, a coordinator of forest security of Perhutani, had promised that pesanggem allowed to plant trees, except coffee and alba. The fact is pesanggem not allowed to plant any trees except palawija (crops planted as 2^nd crop in dry season). About the space of planting, Nasir promised it 3x6 m for damar (Agatis sp.), in fact it is limitted for 2x3 m. Pesanggem were promised will be subsidized fertilizer, but they got nothing.

There are many others difficulties. Puspa and damar trees planted on production forest make the land become dry. The narrow land, only about 0.1 per pesanggem, the less of farm product, are not able to fulfill daily needs. Fertilizer and pesticide are getting more expensive and the lack water supplies are the problems for pesanggems.

The next problem is about damar, as the required trees. Damar can be cut after fifty years old. It is possible not the planter that will harvest the damar. Finally pesanggem agreed to make an inheritance system for damar.

The farmer group can find the solutions for their problems by a routine meeting. On 14 June 2005 the farmer group was not only invited their members, but also other villagers around Mt. Slamet region and interrelated officials. The officials invited were from Forestry and Plantation Department, Environment Department, Agriculture Department, Husbandry Department, General Work Affair Department, and Irrigation, Mining, and Energy Department, KPH (Area of Forest Management) of Perhutani. All of them work in Banyumas administrative area. This meeting also invited the heads of Ketenger Village, Melung Village, Windujaya Village, Kalikesur Village, Kalisalak Village, Baseh Village, Sunyalangu Village, and villagers of Ceklatakan Village from Purbalingga. Organizations works in environmental movement were also invited, included Kompleet.

This meeting finally created a collective decision as called agreement note. It was signed authentications by The Lead of Windujaya Village, Ahmad Yono, representation of KPH of East Banyumas, Natalas Anis, representation of DPRD of Banyumas, Muksonudin, representation of Forestry and Plantation Department, Nanik Murwani, and representation of General Work Affair Department, Broto Suseno.

The egreement note stated the follow meeting will be held at least two months after the meeting. Perhutani pointed as the coordinator to meet public and Perhutani specially. The next meeting will discus about forestry problems.

The meeting gave attention too to public prosperity. Participation from interrelated department was part of the agreement. Public participation, according to the sixth clause, that the people will arrange a proposal at least a month after the sign. People representative in this context is DPRD will guard in order the agreement could be realized.

Sunyalangu

Sunyalangu is an unique village. It is divided into two areas sparated by Logawa River and production forest of Perhutani. Sunyalangu also supervises Semaya Dusun, that is divided as Semaya and Cibun.

Some of villagers in Cibun work in Perhutani’s land all along forest land and people’s land. While people in Semaya are prefers to work in rice fields. Part of them had left work in plantation and also palm-sugar tapper. Part of them prefers to fell trees.

Semaya villagers are creative in fulfilling illumination needs. They use water stream to propel big waterwheels to produce electricity. The waterwheels are strong enough.

Illumination in Sunyalangu depends on water supply. The waterwheel can not propel if there is no enough water.

Beside illumination, water is important to encreas the people prosperuty. Their agriculture depends on water supply too. Forest function as the water absorbver area becomes very important to be sustained so that people can get enough water.

Clekatakan

Clekatakan borders on Slamet forest. It is included in Pulosari Subdistrict area, Pemalang Regency. The air there is cold, about 20-24 degree of celcius. It supports the agriculture, as the most field of the villagers work in. It is easy to find potato, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, chili, corn, cassava, tea, tobacco and many others agriculture product in Clekatakan. Beside work in agriculture, some people have live stocks, such as cow, goat, chicken, and duck.

Nowadays, occupations of the villagers are more various. Some are kindergarten teachers, tailors, and Islamic school teachers. Many people live and work in city with the reason being farmer or laborer is not enough for life.

Ceklatakan villagers work as farmer since in tens years ago. However their prosperity is still low. Their land is only about 0.5 ha to 1 ha. There are Perhutani’s contract lands, but people prefer not to work there with the reason there is no money.

Maksudi, a villagers told about his loss if work in Perhutani’s land. He said that there is a pine forest in Clekatakan, the people are asked to plant but with no payment. Whereas to get seeds they have to go to Kejawar Dukuh, with the price Rp. 200/seed and Rp. 60/seed for plant cost, while Perhutani cost for it only Rp.100/seed. We can see the financial loss of the farmers is about Rp. 160/seed.

Finally vegetable is the favourite commodity in this region. In spite of the people do not get enough earn  as vegetable farmer, they still work as farmer, while earn from other work.

Unfortunately forest Mantri threated the. If the villagers do not stop plant vagetables on the contract land, they will be punished. Maksudi, in a meeting in Windujaya, asked for ADM of West Pekalongan give punishment to the Perhutani’s person. He also said that Perhutani in his area mostly never give income for the nation because there are many illegal logging there that done by people masterminded by Perhutani’s mandor and mantri.

Unreal Hopes

With local wisdom, forest conservation and life persistence, the people work on land around forest. It is different with company that works to get profit.

PHBM (Community Base Forest Management) idea is issued by Perhutani some years ago. Perhutani’s Superintendent Council Decree No. 136/KPTS/2001 about forest resources management emphasize to the participative planning in forest management. It means that forest resources management has to be planed together with forest village people.

Share principle is also emphasized in this decree. The share means sharing of role between Perhutani and the people in land using.

Unfortunately the participative planning is confusing if we look at Article 2 Section II about Spirit and Base Principle. The article 2(1) stated that Forest Resources Management Together With Community (PHBM) is a policy that inspires the strategy, structure and culture of the coorporation in forest resources management.

The spirit stated is not the spirit that can unite the corporation and community spirits, but only for the corporation’s. It means that community base forest management should be considered again.

The other confusion is on Article 4 Section III about The Aim. It is stated “ Forest Management Together With Community aims to give direction in forest resources management by combining economy, ecology, and social aspects reasonably in order to reach vision and mission of the corporation”. It is clear that PHBM not for collective interest between the corporation and the community.

Finally forest farmer will be only corporation’s worker on field. They always suffer financial losses, even threatened, and laid by Perhutani’s persons.