PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI) has handed over 314.98 hectares of Compensated Land in Bondowoso Regency, East Java, which has been reforested. The handover was carried out in Jakarta by Boyke P. Abidin, Director of BSI, to the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia (KLHK) on 28 February 2023.
“BSI continues to prove its commitment to sustainable environmental management through successful planting in the context of reforestation of compensation land on the island of Java,” said Boyke P. Abidin.
Compensation Land (Lakom) is land that must be hand over by the holder of a Borrow-to-Use Forest Area Permit (IPPKH) in a state that has been reforested. For Java Island, where the forest area is less than 30 percent of the land area, IPPKH holders required to provide lakoms at least twice the size of the forest area used. BSI, which uses a forest area of 992.86 hectares for the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine in Banyuwangi, East Java, must hand over 1,985.72 hectares of Lakom.
Lakom in Bondowoso covering an area of 630.96 hectares spread across 20 villages is BSI’s first Lakom. Because the land area in Bondowoso is still below the total required Lakom—only 630.96 out of 1,985.72 hectares—BSI needs to add a second Lakom in Sukabumi, West Java, at least 1,354.76 hectares.
Reforestation of Lakom Bondowoso has gradually started since 2014. Rock hills in a number of villages turn green over the years with the planting of various trees such as teak, sengon buto, rosewood, mahogany, avocado, trembesi, durian, and mango.
The reforestation also involved local residents, around 500 heads of households or 1,200 people, with an impact that was felt, especially by local residents. Previously, nothing grew on those hills except thorns. Since reforestation, the hill has turned green so that several birds began to stop frequently. Residents are also happy with the construction of drilled wells which are used as a source of watering because they can also use water—which was previously very difficult to obtain—for drinking and bathing water.
The first phase of reforestation for Lakom Bondowoso will be handed over in 2020 covering an area of 100.32 hectares, then in 2021 covering 215.66 hectares—the same year as the completion of the first phase of Lakom Sukabumi covering 857.26 hectares. The second phase of Lakom Sukabumi covering 430.40 hectares was handed over on September 15, 2022.
The reforestation of the Lakom Bondowoso covering an area of 314.98 hectares in 2023 is the third and final handover. The assessment team consisting of a number of agencies such as the River Basin Management Office, the Provincial Forestry Service, and the Indonesian Public Forestry Company, under the supervision of the Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation, KLHK, stated that the reforestation had been 100 percent successful. With this, the reforestation of the Lakom Bondowoso with a total area of 630.96 hectares has been completed.
“With this handover, BSI has completed a total of 1,918 hectares of our obligation of 1,986 hectares,” said Cahyono Seto, Director of BSI. “With the completion of the Lakom Bondowoso, what still needs to be reforested is the remaining Lakom Sukabumi. The final handover of the 68.41 hectare Lakom Sukabumi will be carried out this year.”
Until the last handover of Lakom Bondowoso, BSI was counted as the company that handed over the largest compensation land in Indonesia.
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Photo: assessment team and representatives of BSI and Merdeka at compensation land in Bondowoso, East Java.
