State Secretary, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc., has launched the Getas-Ngandong special purpose forest as an area of education and training for UGM academic community.
The event was marked by the signing of a decree of commitment on the restoration of Java’s Ecosystem through Getas-Ngandong Social Forest at UGM Education Forest on Thursday (16/11) at Faculty of Forestry UGM.
The signing was done by the State Minister, UGM Vice-Rector for Education, Teaching, and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Djagal Wiseso Marseno, M.Ag., Dean of Faculty of Forestry UGM, Dr. Budiadi, S.Hut., M Agr. Sc., as well as village chiefs from Getas-Ngandong.
Minister Pratikno who represented President Joko Widodo in the event told the President’s expectation that the management of Getas-Ngandong forest would not only focus on conservation and education, but also responding to poverty, unemployment and social gap issues.
“In each opportunity, Pak Jokowi always expresses his uneasiness over poverty, unemployment, and gaps problems. So, the management of Getas-Ngandong is expected to also respond to those issues, not just conservation and education,” he said.
The State Secretary also shared his hopes that the Getas-Ngandong forest could become an upstream-to-downstream laboratory.
Vice-Rector Prof. Djagal said the mandate given to Faculty of Forestry to manage the Getas-Ngandong forest should be made as a momentum to contribute to improving people’s welfare as well as forest sciences.
“Faculty of Forestry UGM is given the mandate as the leading sector in building the Getas-Ngandong as a model of forest management,” said Djagal.
Dean Dr. Budiadi said the Getas-Ngandong forests that measure 10,901 hectares were given by the government to be managed by Faculty of Forestry UGM in 2016 as the site for academics, researchers, and students for research, education, field practice, and community service purposes.
Prior to the launching, the State Secretary did a tree planting of Nagasari or Dewandaru tree (Mesua ferrea) on the campus of Faculty of Forestry UGM, witnessed by the Vice-Rector and the Dean.