Communities Empowerment and Collaboration Between Stakeholders on Utilization of Community Forests as A Solution for Poverty Reduction and Reduce Intensity of Chopping of Protected Forest in Lampung Province

Abstract

Community forest is a state forest whose main use is intended to empower local communities as explained on Republic of Indonesia Minister of Forestry Regulation No. P.13/Menhut-II/2011 juncto Regulation of the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number P.88/Menhut-II/2014 and Regulation Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number P.83/MenLHK/Setjen/Kum.1/2016 concerning Social Forestry. The implementation of community forest cannot be carried out by forestry officers or the Protection Forest Management Unit (KPHL only), but it requires support and commitment of the parties in its implementation, namely the Regional Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community, Forest Farmers Group (KTH), community forest permission holders and other parties. The problem in this study is, how is the role of stakeholders in the policy of community forest utilization? The method used is descriptive qualitative. The location of this study was in Central Lampung Regency and North Lampung Regency. The conclusion from this research are: 1) Implementation of community forest policies in Central Lampung and North Lampung Regencies by implementing the Minister of Forestry Regulation No. 37 of 2007 and the amendments thereof, in conjunction with the Regulation of the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number P.88/Menhut-II/2014 concerning Community Forest and the Minister of Environment Regulation and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Number P.83/MenLHK/Setjen/Kum.1/10/2016 concerning Social Forestry. 2) Organizing community forest through empowerment activities requires support and commitment of the parties in its implementation including stakeholder support. 3) Coaching of community participation, collaboration between stakeholders on the management of community forest has not run optimally, there is still lack of human resources owned by KPHL especially field facilitators. Important suggestions/recommendations regarding the conclusions of the results of this study are: 1) Constraints on applying for permission to manage community forests are complicated bureaucratic sequences, and lack of budget to facilitate groups that will apply for community forest management licenses. 2) There has not been a trust or mutual trust and creating conflict of interests in the management and utilization of community forest through this empowerment activity, because it requires mutual trust from each party involved, so that everything can be done together.

Keywords: collaboration, stakeholder, community forest policy, poverty reduction, Lampung Province.