Enviro News Asia, North Sulawesi –The Raja Juli Antoni has granted social forestry management rights to 328 households in North Sulawesi as part of the government’s effort to strengthen community-based forest management and promote a green economy.
The distribution of permits took place at Mangrove Park in Darunu Village, located in North Minahasa Regency, during the minister’s official visit to the province.
A total of nine Social Forestry Decrees (SK) covering approximately 1,742 hectares were handed over to beneficiaries across North Minahasa, South Minahasa, Minahasa, and Bolaang Mongondow. The initiative provides legal access for communities to sustainably manage forest areas.
The Minister of Forestry emphasized that the programme is designed to position local communities as key actors in forest management while ensuring environmental sustainability. He stated that social forestry should serve not only as access provision but also as a driver of integrated economic development, covering production, processing, financing, and market access.
With the latest allocation, social forestry coverage in North Sulawesi has reached 109 permits spanning 21,612.08 hectares, benefiting 5,114 households.
At the national level, Director General of Social Forestry Catur Endah Prasetiani reported that the programme has reached 8.33 million hectares across 11,190 permits, supporting more than 1.42 million households.
During the visit, the minister also led a symbolic mangrove planting activity covering 0.5 hectares with 600 seedlings, including Rhizophora apiculata and Avicennia marina. The effort aims to rehabilitate coastal ecosystems and strengthen the role of mangroves in carbon absorption and coastal protection.
The programme also highlights successful community-based mangrove management in Darunu Village, where the area has been developed into an ecotourism site and a source of non-timber forest products.
The government called for stronger collaboration among local authorities, communities, and private stakeholders to expand social forestry as a pillar of sustainable green economic development. (*)
