Bengkulu (ANTARA) - The Bengkulu Provincial Environment and Forestry Office along with the police and a number of local environmental organizations are intensifying the forest security patrols to prevent forest encroachment.
Head for Planning, Forest Utilization, Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation of the office Syamsul Hidayat said here on Sunday that the patrol was a preventive attempt in maintaining the nature conservation area and preventing acts of forestry crimes.
"We are intensively carrying out forest security patrols with the personnel of the regional police and resort police as well as the members of environmental organizations, such as Kanopi Bengkulu," he stated.
If any forest encroachment perpetrators were found during the patrol, the law enforcement officials will immediately called to take action against them.
"Destroying and encroaching the forest areas is a serious crime since it can disrupt the balance of ecosystems and the function of forest as the conservation area for the availability and sustainability of water sources,” Hidayat remarked.
He also emphasized that forest conservation has important role to mitigate flooding in the surrounding areas.
Hence, Hidayat hoped that any forest encroachment perpetrator will be given severe punishment in order to give a deterrent effect for them and also serve as a lesson for the public.
Meanwhile, member of Bengkulu Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) Usin Abdisyah Putra Sembiring urged the community to not involve in any forest encroachment.
"We appealed to the people to not encroach the forest because it is against the law," he pointed out.
"If the community want to utilize any resources in the forest, they must join the social forestry program," he continued.
The program aims to reduce economic inequality and improve people’s welfare through the development of three aspects, namely land, business opportunities, and human resources.
In addition, the program also helps people who have already used the forest areas without permit to get legality for managing the forest areas.
"Thus, if you want to manage the forestry areas legally, you have to join the social forestry program, especially for people who have already utilized the areas for a long time," Sembiring added.
