"TNTN is a strategic target for Mr President in his forest area recovery mission, with preliminary results to be announced later on August 17, 2025," Dwi Januanto, Director General for Law Enforcement at the ministry, stated here on Friday.
The Garuda Task Force has commenced action in the 81,739-hectare Tesso Nilo National Park, located in Riau Province in Sumatra, of which 40 thousand hectares have been encroached upon for illegal palm plantations and settlements.
Januanto warned that illegal activities in Tesso Nilo have led to severe forest degradation and a continued decline in the native elephant population over the past two decades, as reported by the Garuda Task Force.
Furthermore, task force data showed that only 10 percent of the 15 thousand residents currently living in TNTN are native to the area.
For the restoration in TNTN, the government will prioritize labor-intensive ecosystem restoration and law enforcement approaches, Januanto noted.
Some 380 task force personnel stationed at 13 strategic points have established checkpoints, installed portals, and persuaded residents to leave. As a result, some residents have voluntarily departed from the forest area.
The task force has also verified 1,805 existing freehold title certificates within the forest area with the National Land Agency (BPN).
Januanto stated that his side is supported by "all elements, including the ministry's top echelon" to rehabilitate forest areas using comprehensive and humane approaches.
Nonetheless, support from more sectors is paramount to addressing the gap between the number of forest rangers and the challenges of protecting forest areas in Indonesia.
The operation in Tesso Nilo is part of the strategic mission to recover 3.7 million hectares of forest areas that have been used illegally nationwide, he stated.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna V, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Primayanti
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