Enviro News Asia, East Kalimantan — The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia handed over Social Forestry Decree Letters (SK Persetujuan Perhutanan Sosial) to Forest Farmer Groups (KTH) in East Kalimantan Province on Saturday during a ceremony held at the Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). The initiative forms part of the government’s effort to accelerate community access to forest management rights and improve the quality of Social Forestry implementation nationwide.
The Minister conducted the handover alongside the Head of the Otorita Ibu Kota Nusantara and the Governor of Kalimantan Timur, underscoring coordination between central and regional authorities in strengthening Social Forestry programs in the province.
In his remarks, the Minister emphasized that Social Forestry remains one of the President’s flagship programs, positioning forests as strategic natural resources that must generate economic benefits for communities while upholding sustainability principles.
The Ministry has continued expanding community-based forest management access as part of its broader commitment to equitable economic distribution and improved welfare for forest-dependent communities. As of 2025, the government has allocated 8.33 million hectares of Social Forestry access nationwide through 11,192 decree units, benefiting approximately 1.4 million households. In East Kalimantan alone, approved Social Forestry areas have reached 360,947.82 hectares, distributed through 223 permits to 23,451 households.
During the event, the Minister directly granted four Social Forestry permits under the Community Forestry (HKm) scheme and provided Social Forestry Business Development Assistance (Bang Pesona) worth IDR 50 million to each recipient group.
The four permits cover a combined area of approximately 833 hectares and involve 140 households, detailed as follows:
- Decree No. 5783/2025 granted to KTH Meranti Bakungan Makmur in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, covering approximately 298 hectares for 35 households;
- Decree No. 11511/2025 granted to KTH Wana Makmur in Kutai Timur Regency, covering approximately 127 hectares for 32 households;
- Decree No. 11507/2025 granted to KTH Quarry Perjuangan in Kutai Timur Regency, covering approximately 160 hectares for 23 households; and
- Decree No. 11515/2025 granted to KTH Sentosa Rimba in Kutai Timur Regency, covering approximately 248 hectares for 50 households.
The Minister stressed that the issuance of these permits goes beyond administrative formalities. He described the decrees as concrete proof of the state’s commitment to providing legal certainty and secure access for communities to manage forest areas productively and sustainably.
“With legal certainty in place, communities can optimize forest utilization to improve productivity and welfare, while safeguarding environmental sustainability,” he stated.
The Ministry expects the strengthened legal framework and financial assistance to encourage responsible forest management practices and generate sustainable economic opportunities for local communities in East Kalimantan. (*)
