Faculty of Forestry UGM is entrusted by government to manage the Getas-Ngandong forests that lie between Blora and Ngawi cities. The 11,000 hectares of forest will be made a conservation forest.
“Since last year we were asked to manage these forests for education and training purposes,” said Dean of Faculty of Forestry UGM, Dr. Budiadi, S.Hut., M.Agr.Sc., alongside an event on forest conservation to reduce green gas emission in the auditorium of the Faculty on Thursday (6/4).
Budiadi said the Getas-Ngandong forests would be turned into a forest area with special purpose. It requires hard work to restore the area as an ecosystem based forest. “Moreover, the social pressure is varied so that we need the support from all for the benefit of community empowerment and management planning,” he said.
Agrarian reform programme will be conducted there to improve the welfare of the local community around the forest. “We will work with 15 forest villages to do community empowerment programme through social approach,” he said.
The management of Getas Ngandong village, according to the Dean, also aimed at restoring the remaining forests in Java. “We will make the Getas dan Ngandong forests as reference for forest restoration concept in Java,” he said.
Forestry lecturer of UGM, Dr. Satyawan Pudyatmoko S.Hut., M.Sc., said the Getas-Ngandong forests management would duplicate the concept of Wanagama forest in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, which include forest plant development through silviculture, forest ecosystem improvement and quality of teak forest. It will also serve as food producing forest. “Up to this time, we have a sizeable forests that are not food producing,” he added.
Project Team Leader of The Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF), Sudaryanto, supports the UGM commitment in doing of forest restoration in Java. “I hope the concept for this forest area that is done by UGM can be applied elsewhere,” he said.