PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - The Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership Center (BPSKL) launched the Implementation of Forest Program V Garut Regency at the Saphire Hotel Harmoni Ballroom, Wednesday (08/11/2023).

This program is a collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) of the Republic of Indonesia and the German Government to support social forestry.

FPV aims to increase capacity related to social forestry, adopt a sustainable forestry model, and improve environmental policies at the Directorate General of Social Forestry and Community Partnerships.

Head of the Java Regional PSKL Center, Nur Faizin, hopes that Garut will convey that Garut Regency will be one of the targets for implementing this FPV. Where, through the implementation of this program, it will encourage accelerated social forestry programs for the welfare of the people of Garut Regency in particular and to restore forests in the Java region.

Through this program, it is hoped that Garut Regency will become a role model for the success of social forestry programs.

"It is hoped that this will be a learning process in Garut for all of Indonesia, perhaps the world will come to Garut, to see how successful the social forestry program in Garut Regency is," he said.

He also explained that in this FPV there are 3 main activities to encourage social forestry management, namely institutional management, area management and business management.

Nur Faizin revealed that the implementation of FPV was only carried out in 2 districts in the Java region, namely in Garut Regency and Madiun Regency, while the other 2 were carried out in Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan Province and Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

This program itself will last until 2026, and there will be additional time if this program runs well.

"We hope that collaboratively we will develop Garut well," he said.

The Regional Secretary of Garut Regency, Nurdin Yana, supports this program as an alternative amidst APBD pressure, emphasizing the importance of community empowerment. He asked sub-district heads and village heads to support this program.

"So there is no other choice but for the sub-district heads to be responsible for the context of achieving these 3 things, because the point is that it will provide welfare to the community, that is the most important thing," added Nurdin.

The hope is that this program will make Garut a mecca for social forestry that is attractive to other regions, providing economic benefits and improving community welfare. This program will run until 2026, with the possibility of extension if it is successful.

"There will be a very dominant side effect, which will provide beneficial value to the entire community. Not only that, hotels are also there, people selling are also coming in, then there is also interaction between us too, and make no mistake, when there is friendship, of course there is communication, "When there is communication the opportunity will be there," he said. (rdp*)