Warga Desa Buntoi memanggilnya Pak Karlin. Nama lengkapnya Karlin K Ganti, usia memasuki delapan puluh tahun. Ia tercatat sebagai tokoh masyarakat yang menerima amanah menjaga hutan.
Tahun 2012, melalui Kementerian Kehutanan menetapkan kawasan hutan lindung sebagai areal kerja Hutan Desa Buntoi. Wilayah itu berada Kecamatan Kahayan Hilir, Kabupaten Pulang Pisau, Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah. Penetapan itu memberi hak kelola kepada masyarakat melalui skema hutan desa.
Negara meminta warga Buntoi menjaga hutan sebagai sumber air, sumber benih, hasil hutan bukan kayu, serta penghidupan. Tanggung jawab itu mencakup pencegahan perambahan, kebakaran hutan, dan penebangan liar. “Hutan ini untuk kita kelola, bukan untuk kita habiskan,” kata Karlin dalam rapat kampung.
Sebelum penetapan hutan desa, kawasan tersebut masuk proyek pembukaan lahan gambut satu juta hektare era Orde Baru. Kanal besar membelah bentang gambut dan mengubah aliran air. Jejak kebijakan masa lalu masih terlihat melalui parit dan lahan terbuka.
Pemerintah desa kemudian memberi kepercayaan kepada Karlin bersama Tito dan Barong untuk membentuk Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Desa. Lembaga itu berjalan tanpa dukungan anggaran tetap. Operasional awal bertumpu pada swadaya dan iuran warga.
Karlin tengah berdiri di dekat Papan informasi himbauan Hutan Desa Buntoi. Sumber: KPSHK
Karlin memimpin pertemuan dan menyusun aturan internal. Ia mendata batas kawasan dan menyepakati tata cara pemanfaatan hasil hutan bukan kayu. “Kalau aturan tidak kita buat sendiri, orang luar akan buat aturan untuk kita,” ujarnya.
Periode 2012 hingga 2021 menjadi masa ujian. Kebakaran hutan datang berulang dan menghanguskan petak demi petak. Kekeringan panjang menurunkan muka air gambut dan membuka risiko api.
Karlin turun langsung saat asap muncul. Ia ikut memadamkan api bersama warga dan mencatat titik rawan. “Kalau api lewat, kita semua kena dampaknya,” katanya sambil menunjuk bekas kebakaran.
Hampir sepuluh tahun ia menjaga hutan tanpa dukungan program besar. Misinya tetap sama: “Hutan Lestari Masyarakat Sejahtera.” Kalimat itu ia ulang dalam setiap musyawarah desa.
Tahun 2022 membuka babak baru. Program Rimba Collective melalui KPSHK masuk mendampingi Buntoi. Dukungan itu mencakup penguatan tata kelola lembaga, kawasan, dan ekonomi.
Pelatihan administrasi dan pemetaan kawasan dilakukan bersama tim pendamping. Patroli hutan dibentuk dengan jadwal tetap. Papan larangan dan batas kerja dipasang pada titik masuk.
Kelompok usaha mulai berjalan melalui pemanfaatan hasil hutan bukan kayu. Warga mengelola madu, rotan, dan hasil lain sesuai rencana kerja. Pemasukan tercatat dalam pembukuan lembaga.
Karlin memantau proses itu meski usia tidak lagi muda. Ia hadir dalam rapat dan memberi arahan. “Lembaga ini harus jalan walau saya tidak lagi memimpin,” ucapnya kepada pengurus muda.
Hutan Buntoi kini berdiri sebagai wilayah kelola masyarakat dengan dasar hukum dan struktur organisasi. Nama Karlin K Ganti melekat dalam perjalanan tersebut. Amanah negara ia jawab melalui rapat, patroli, dan kerja bersama warga.
Penulis: Alma
The residents of Buntoi Village call him Mr. Karlin. His full name is Karlin K Ganti, and he is approaching eighty years old. He is a recognized community leader entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the forest.
In 2012, the Ministry of Forestry designated a protected forest area as the Buntoi Village Forest work area. The area is located in Kahayan Hilir District, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan Province. This designation granted the community management rights through a village forest scheme.
The government asked Buntoi residents to protect the forest as a source of water, seeds, non-timber forest products, and livelihoods. This responsibility includes preventing encroachment, forest fires, and illegal logging. “This forest is for us to manage, not for us to destroy,” Karlin stated at a village meeting.
Before the village forest designation, the area was part of a one-million-hectare peatland clearing project during the New Order era. Large canals cut through the peat landscape and altered water flow. Traces of past policies are still visible through ditches and open spaces.
The village government then entrusted Karlin, along with Tito and Barong, to establish a Village Forest Management Institution. The institution operated without a fixed budget. Initial operations relied on self-help and community contributions.
Karlin stands near a warning sign in Buntoi Village Forest. Source: KPSHK.
Karlin led meetings and drafted internal regulations. He identified area boundaries and agreed on procedures for the use of non-timber forest products. “If we don’t make the rules ourselves, outsiders will make them for us,” he said.
The period from 2012 to 2021 was a testing time. Forest fires occurred repeatedly, burning plot after plot. Prolonged droughts lowered the peat water level, exposing the community to fire risks.
Karlin went directly to the forest when smoke appeared. He helped extinguish the fires with residents and noted vulnerable points. “If the fire passes, we will all be affected,” he said, pointing to the burnt areas.
For almost ten years, he has been protecting the forest without the support of major programs. His mission remains the same: “Sustainable Forests, Prosperous Communities.” He repeats this phrase at every village meeting.
2022 opened a new chapter. The Rimba Collective program, through the KPSHK, joined Buntoi. This support includes strengthening institutional, regional, and economic governance.
Administrative training and area mapping were conducted with a support team. Forest patrols were established with a fixed schedule. Signs prohibiting work and limiting activities were installed at entry points.
The business group began operating through the utilization of non-timber forest products. Residents managed honey, rattan, and other products according to the work plan. Income was recorded in the organization’s books.
Karlin monitored this process despite his advanced age. He attended meetings and provided guidance. “This organization must continue even though I am no longer the leader,” he told the young administrators.
The Buntoi Forest is now a community-managed area with a legal basis and organizational structure. Karlin K Ganti’s name is ingrained in this journey. He fulfilled the state’s mandate through meetings, patrols, and collaboration with residents.
Author: Alma
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