Deru mesin perahu memecah kesunyian pagi Sungai Kahayan saat mengarungi kawasan hutan desa Buntoi, Kalawa, Mantaren I, dan Gohong. “Ketika SK itu terbit, kami merasa tanggung jawab yang lebih besar. Hutan bukan lagi sekadar kawasan di sekitar desa, melainkan warisan yang harus dilestarikan,” ujar Karlin, Ketua Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Desa (LPHD) Buntoi, mengenang saat pertama kali menerima SK dari Menteri Kehutanan RI tentang Penetapan Kawasan Hutan Lindung sebagai Wilayah Kerja Hutan Desa.
Hutan Desa Buntoi – tampak Drone. Sumber foto: KPSHK.
Tanggung jawab Karlin dalam menjaga kawasan hutan dilakukan dengan berbagai cara, seperti membangun delapan menara pengawas kebakaran, 80 sumur bor, dan 50 sekat kanal. Menara pengawas kebakaran digunakan untuk memantau potensi kebakaran. Sumur bor dan kanal digunakan untuk mencegah lahan gambut mengering. Selain membangun menara, sumur bor, dan sekat kanal, juga dipasang 21 titik pemantauan Muka Air Tanah (TMAT) serta membangun 12 sumur subsiden dan 19 pondok kerja LPHD.
Menjaga dan mengelola kawasan hutan desa tidak cukup hanya dengan membangun fasilitas, LPHD juga merancang beberapa kegiatan. Tim patroli berada di garda terdepan dalam memantau potensi kebakaran dan melindungi hutan dari bahaya kerusakan. “Jika terjadi kebakaran kecil, harus segera dipadamkan sebelum menyebar,” ujar Lampang, anggota Tim Jaga Hutan Gohong, sambil menunjuk menara pengawas yang menjulang tinggi.
Hal penting lainnya yang perlu dilakukan dalam mengelola kawasan hutan desa adalah melakukan restorasi melalui penanaman. Hingga kuartal pertama tahun 2025, luas penanaman telah mencapai 570,6 hektar. “Restorasi merupakan upaya untuk meningkatkan keanekaragaman hayati dan menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem,” jelas Alfian, staf GIS di KPSHK.
Penanaman bibit pohon oleh tim penanaman. Sumber foto: KPSHK.
Mengelola hutan sebagai ruang hidup bukan hanya tentang melindungi kawasan. Penguatan kelembagaan masyarakat dan kesejahteraan ekonomi merupakan komponen integral. Kabun Paung Himba Lewu (KAPHIL) didirikan sebagai pusat kegiatan masyarakat untuk mempraktikkan, berdiskusi, dan melestarikan nilai-nilai adat dan budaya. Kegiatan KAPHIL meliputi pembibitan, demplot, dan produksi pakan. Fasilitas lain di KAPHIL meliputi kantor Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Desa (LPHD) dan balai pertemuan.
Penggerak ekonomi di kawasan hutan desa adalah Kelompok Usaha Perhutanan Sosial (KUPS). Berbagai produk yang dihasilkan antara lain madu lebah tanpa sengat, anyaman rotan, dan olahan ikan lokal. “Sekarang kami bisa membuat produk dan menjualnya,” ujar Jambun dari KUPS Pengolahan Ikan Buntoi, yang memproduksi kerupuk ikan dan akar pinang.
KUPS di Desa Kalawa perlahan tapi pasti mulai mempersiapkan rumah produksi dengan stup/rumah madu lebah kelulut yang tertata rapi di halaman mereka. “Jika madunya dijual, hasilnya bisa digunakan untuk membiayai sekolah anak-anak. Jadi, hutan tidak hanya menyediakan oksigen, tetapi juga memberikan harapan bagi ekosistem hutan yang terawat baik, yang berdampak pada aktivitas dan kehidupan sosial dan ekonomi kami sebagai masyarakat di sekitar hutan,” ujar Purnawati, anggota Komunitas Madu Kelulut Kalawa.
Penulis: Alma
Editor: JW
The roar of a boat engine shattered the morning silence of the Kahayan River as it sailed through the forested areas of the villages of Buntoi, Kalawa, Mantaren I, and Gohong. “When the decree was issued, we felt a greater sense of responsibility. The forest is no longer just an area around the village, but a heritage that must be preserved,” said Karlin, Head of the Buntoi Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD), recalling the first time he received the decree from the Indonesian Minister of Forestry regarding the Determination of Protected Forest Areas as Village Forest Work Areas.
Buntoi Village Forest – Drone view. Photo source: KPSHK.
Karlin’s responsibility for safeguarding the forest area is carried out through various means, such as building eight fire watchtowers, 80 boreholes, and 50 canal blocks. The fire watchtowers are used to monitor potential fires. The boreholes and canal blocks are used to prevent peatland from drying out. In addition to building towers, boreholes, and canal blocks, 21 groundwater level monitoring points (TMAT) have been installed, 12 subsidence wells, and 19 LPHD work huts have been constructed.
Maintaining and managing the village forest area is not just about building facilities; the LPHD also plans several activities. Patrol teams are at the forefront of monitoring potential fires and protecting the forest from damage. “If a small fire occurs, it must be extinguished immediately before it spreads,” said Lampang, a member of the Gohong Forest Guard Team, pointing to a towering watchtower.
Another important aspect of managing the village forest area is restoration through planting. By the first quarter of 2025, the planted area had reached 570.6 hectares. “Restoration is an effort to increase biodiversity and maintain ecosystem balance,” explained Alfian, GIS staff at KPSHK.
Planting of tree seedlings by the planting team. Photo source: KPSHK.
Managing forests as living spaces is not just about protecting the area. Strengthening community institutions and economic well-being are integral components. Kabun Paung Himba Lewu (KAPHIL) was established as a community activity center for practicing, discussing, and preserving traditional and cultural values. KAPHIL activities include nurseries, demonstration plots, and feed production. Other facilities at KAPHIL include the Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD) office and a meeting hall.
The economic driver in the village forest area is the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS). Various products are produced, including stingless bee honey, rattan weaving, and processed local fish. “Now we can make products and sell them,” said Jambun from KUPS Pengolahan Ikan Buntoi, which produces fish crackers and areca nut roots.
The KUPS in Kalawa Village is slowly but surely starting to prepare a production house with a stupa/house for stingless bee honey neatly arranged in their yard. “If the honey is sold, the proceeds can be used to pay for the children’s school fees. So, the forest not only provides oxygen, but also provides hope for a well-maintained forest ecosystem, which impacts our social and economic activities and lives as a community surrounding the forest,” said Purnawati, a member of the Kalawa Kelulut Honey Community.
Writer: Alma
Editor: JW
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