Hutan Kahayan membentang mengikuti alur sungai dan rawa gambut. Jalur setapak menghubungkan titik patroli dan sekat kanal di wilayah kelola LPHD Buntoi. Pada suatu siang di bulan November 2024, ronda rutin berubah menjadi peristiwa penting bagi hutan desa.
Dores berjalan bersama sembilan anggota tim patroli. Radio komunikasi tergantung di dada, buku catatan dan telepon genggam tersimpan di tas lapangan. Mereka menyusuri jalur yang biasa dilalui saat pemantauan.
Sekitar pukul sebelas, suara mesin memecah ruang hutan. Getaran terasa di tanah gambut. Burung terbang meninggalkan kanopi. Dores memberi isyarat berhenti. “Kita cek titik masuk jalur sungai,” katanya.
Jejak rantai besi terlihat jelas di permukaan tanah. Bekas lintasan mengarah ke petak lindung dalam peta kerja LPHD. Tidak ada papan kegiatan atau tanda izin kerja.
Tak lama kemudian, satu unit ekskavator tampak bergerak memasuki kawasan dan merintis jalur baru. Rantai besinya melindas semak dan anakan pohon, membuka akses di antara tegakan yang masih rapat. Tanah gambut belum sempat digali, namun arah bukaan sudah mengarah ke petak lindung dalam wilayah kelola.
Dores mendekat dengan jarak aman. Ia meminta operator menghentikan kegiatan dan menunjukkan dokumen. “Ini wilayah hutan desa. Tunjukkan izin berdasarkan aturan yang berlaku,” ucapnya.
Operator menyebut bekerja atas perintah seseorang dari luar desa. Nama disebut, tetapi tidak ada surat resmi atau rekomendasi dari LPHD. Mesin masih menyala saat itu.
Dores segera menghubungi Ketua LPHD melalui radio. Koordinat, foto, dan video dikirim sebagai bukti. Kurang dari satu jam, LPHD Buntoi tiba di lokasi.
Mereka menghadang alat berat tanpa tindakan fisik. Lingkaran tim patrol dan LPHD berdiri di depan jalur bukaannya. “Hentikan kegiatan sampai jelas dasar hukumnya,” kata Karlin, Ketua LPHD Buntoi sambil menunjukkan salinan surat keputusan wilayah kelola.
Perdebatan berlangsung di tepi jalur. Operator mengaku mendapat janji pembayaran per hektare. LPHD menegaskan kawasan tersebut masuk peta areal kerja sah dan tidak dapat dibuka tanpa persetujuan resmi.
Ketika mesin kembali digerakkan, Dores mengangkat tangan memberi tanda berhenti. “Jika tetap lanjut, kami buat laporan resmi sekarang juga,” katanya. Berita acara lapangan langsung disusun. Nama operator, waktu, titik koordinat, serta saksi dicatat dan ditandatangani.
Ilustrasi alat berat yang sedang membuka hutan. Sumber bengkulu.antaranews.
Laporan resmi dikirim ke dinas kehutanan dan aparat penegak hukum pada hari yang sama. Dokumen aturan, peta kerja, dan surat keputusan dilampirkan. Ketegasan sikap di lapangan membuat kegiatan berhenti saat itu juga.
Beberapa hari kemudian, klarifikasi dilakukan bersama pihak terkait. Berdasarkan aturan dan legalitas wilayah kelola, aktivitas dinyatakan tidak memiliki dasar. Alat berat keluar dari kawasan hutan desa.
Sejak penanganan tersebut, tidak ada lagi upaya membawa alat berat masuk ke wilayah itu. Pihak yang sebelumnya memberi perintah tidak kembali. Hutan desa aman dari pembukaan jalur baru.
Dores kembali meninjau titik kejadian setelah situasi kondusif. Ia mencatat perubahan tanah dan aliran air. “Kalau patroli tidak cepat bertindak waktu itu, jalur ini bisa bertambah panjang,” ujarnya.
Peristiwa November 2024 menjadi rujukan di LPHD Buntoi. Patroli, bukti lapangan, aturan, dan ketegasan terbukti mampu menghentikan aktivitas tanpa izin. Hutan desa tetap terjaga dari masuknya alat berat.
Penulis: Alma
The Kahayan Forest stretches along the river and peat swamp. Footpaths connect patrol points and canal barriers in the Buntoi Forest Management Agency (LPHD) area. One afternoon in November 2024, a routine patrol turned into a significant event for the village forest.
Dores walked with nine patrol team members. Communication radios hung from their chests, notebooks and cell phones tucked into their field bags. They followed the usual monitoring path.
Around eleven o’clock, the sound of machinery shattered the forest space. Vibrations were felt in the peat soil. Birds flew out of the canopy. Dores signaled to stop. “Let’s check the river access point,” he said.
Traces of iron chains were clearly visible on the ground. The tracks led to a protected area on the LPHD work map. There were no activity signs or work permit signs.
Shortly afterward, an excavator entered the area and blazed a new trail. The iron chains crushed undergrowth and saplings, opening access through the dense stands. The peat soil had not yet been excavated, but the opening already led to a protected area within the managed area.
Dores approached at a safe distance. He asked the operator to stop and show his documents. “This is a village forest area. Show me the permit according to applicable regulations,” he said.
The operator claimed to be working on orders from someone from outside the village. He mentioned a name, but there was no official letter or recommendation from the LPHD. The machine was still running at that time.
Dores immediately contacted the LPHD Head by radio. Coordinates, photos, and videos were sent as evidence. Less than an hour later, the Buntoi LPHD arrived at the location.
They blocked the heavy equipment without physical action. A circle of patrol teams and LPHD stood in front of the clearing path. “Stop the activity until the legal basis is clear,” said Karlin, the Head of the Buntoi LPHD, while showing a copy of the management area decree.
An argument ensued at the edge of the path. The operator claimed to have been promised payment per hectare. The LPHD emphasized that the area was included in the legal work area map and could not be cleared without official approval.
When the machine was started again, Dores raised his hand to signal a halt. “If you continue, we will file an official report right now,” he said. A field report was immediately compiled. The operator’s name, time, coordinates, and witnesses were recorded and signed.
Illustration of heavy equipment clearing forest. Source: bengkulu.antaranews.
An official report was sent to the forestry service and law enforcement officials that same day. Regulatory documents, a work map, and a decree were attached. The firm stance on the ground halted the activity immediately.
Several days later, clarification was conducted with the relevant parties. Based on regulations and the legality of the managed area, the activity was declared unfounded. The heavy equipment left the village forest area.
Since this action, there have been no further attempts to bring heavy equipment into the area. The party who previously issued the order has not returned. The village forest is safe from the opening of new paths.
Dores revisited the incident site after the situation calmed down. He noted changes in the soil and water flow. “If the patrol hadn’t acted quickly at the time, this path could have lengthened,” he said.
The November 2024 incident serves as a reference for the Buntoi Forest Management Agency (LPHD). Patrols, field evidence, regulations, and firm action have proven effective in stopping unauthorized activities. The village forest remains protected from the entry of heavy equipment.
Author: Alma
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