Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry has confirmed that the Gunung Wayang area in Bandung District, West Java, remains a protected forest and is currently managed as a village forest under the Social Forestry program.
Head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau at the ministry Krisdianto said on Friday that Ministerial Decree No. 10629 of 2025, dated November 11, 2025, does not constitute a new permit but represents an administrative transition from a forestry partnership scheme to village forest management.
In Indonesia, social forestry is a national program aimed at granting local and indigenous communities legal access to manage state-owned forest areas.
“The approval for village forest management does not transfer land ownership or alter the area’s status. It remains a protected forest under state control and is not transferred to any party. Community management access under the village forest scheme is limited and monitored by the state,” he said.
Krisdianto also emphasized strict prohibitions on land conversion, commercial logging, and land trading. Any activities that undermine the forest’s protective function are prohibited and may be subject to sanctions, including permit revocation.
Regarding proposals to designate Gunung Wayang as a West Java Great Forest Park, he said the process is still underway and is awaiting a technical assessment scheduled for 2026.
“The village forest decree does not cancel or obstruct the Great Forest Park proposal and will be adjusted based on recommendations from the integrated technical team,” he said.
Previously, the West Java provincial government announced plans to designate three forest areas as great forest parks, namely Sanggabuana, Gunung Cikuray, and Gunung Wayang.
