Forty-year-old farmer Sutinggal works to clean wild weed at Meru Betiri National Park in Sanenrejo village, Jember regency, East Java on Feb. 15, 2021. After working as an illegal logger for around 20 years, Sutinggal shift profession to become a farmer and commit to protect the forest from further destruction. Photo by Kharishar Kahfi

Money isn’t everything: Ex-illegal loggers regret cutting down trees

Deaths and accidents have triggered changes of heart among illegal loggers in Jember and Banyuwangi, East Java, who are now working hard to protect forests.
Deaths and accidents have triggered changes of heart among illegal loggers in Jember and Banyuwangi, East Java, who are now working hard to protect forests.

This story was originally published on The Jakarta Post as part of our collaborative journalism project on Southeast Asia forest restoration supported by the Rainforest Journalism Fund and Pulitzer Center.

One day in June 2006 became a turning point in the life of Suhartono, now 42, a resident of Sanenrejo village in Temporejo district, Jember regency, East Java. Back then, he made a living by cutting down trees illegally in the protected Meru Betiri National Park.

On that particular day, after he had cut down a 20-meter glintungan (bishop wood tree), the log rolled down and fell onto his feet, causing him to drop a running chainsaw he was holding to cut the log.

“The chainsaw fell onto my left calf, tearing the muscle. I was immediately carried by eight other loggers for 2 kilometers out of the forest. Luckily, I received treatment at the Jember Regional General Hospital,” Suhartono said in early February.

“On that same day, I uttered my intention to stop stealing trees from the forest,” he went on to say.

Today, Suhartono leads a group of dozens of former illegal loggers in the village who call themselves mantan berandal alas (former forest robbers). They worked with local authorities on alternative sources of income, such as cultivating crops and producing batako (concrete bricks).

The alternative sources of income allowed them to leave their old lives behind, since they were prohibited by the authorities from cutting down trees in the forest. Some were even asked to plant new trees in an attempt to restore the degraded forest.

The government declared the 50,000-hectare Meru Betiri forest, which lies in the East Java regencies of Jember and Banyuwangi, a conservation area in 1972. In 2016, the Environment and Forestry Ministry revised the total area of the national park to 52,626 ha.

But deforestation is still happening in the regencies, including within the national park. 

According to data from Global Forest Watch (GFW), Banyuwangi and Jember are the two regencies with the most tree cover loss in the province between 2001 and 2019, with 15,800 ha and 12,200 ha of forest destroyed, respectively.

Slowly but surely, the two regencies have gained back forest. GFW recorded that Banyuwangi had the greatest tree cover gain between 2001 and 2021 with 3,230 ha, while Jember was in third place with 1,840 ha.

‘My wife’s death could be a warning for me’

Suhartono is not the only illegal logger to stop stealing trees from Meru Betiri and look for alternative sources of income.

Rochmat, also known as Mat Seken, 51, has been cutting down trees in the forest near his house in Andongrejo village in the same district since he was a senior high school student. He intended to stop cutting down the forest when he had obtained a total of Rp 1 billion (US$69,336) from the illegal business.

Several illegal loggers said they could make around Rp 30 million per month from selling the logs.

But when he was around Rp 65 million short of his target, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Although Rochmat spent more than Rp 800 million for his wife’s treatment, she died from the disease.

“I thought that my wife’s death might be a warning for me that a large sum of money I obtained from this wrongdoing won’t do me any good. I decided to quit the illegal logging business,” Rochmat told the Post.

With several other former illegal loggers, Rochmat established the Andongrejo Villagers Network (Jawara), which works to develop ecotourism near the village that would add extra money for their pocket without destroying the forest.

The Meru Betiri National Park is known for several tourist destinations, such as Green Bay and Sukamade Beach — the latter is also a conservation site for sea turtles. But since they are located within the national park, authorities are prohibited from building large infrastructure, such as roads, that potentially disrupt the protected area for conservation.

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2021 shows Green Bay Beach at the Meru Betiri National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java. The beach is one of several tourist destinations located within the protected conservation area. Photo by Kharishar Kahfi

A humane approach

Maman Surahman, the head of the national park, said the alternative sources of income were a part of the nature conservation cooperation between authorities and local residents in 10 villages around the conservation area.

He said that the national park management had been using a humane approach in handling the issue of illegal logging and forest restoration within Meru Betiri.

“We went to their homes one by one and sat with them to talk about the importance of forest conservation. We also proposed to them these alternative sources of income because they cut the forest illegally to make ends meet,” Maman said.

While admitting that there were still villagers engaged in illegal logging within the national park, he claimed the deforestation rate had dropped significantly thanks to the cooperation with the villagers.

According to the national park management, at least 112 villagers have joined four community groups to work on nontimber forest resources, such as batako production and mushroom cultivation. Some groups also offer ecotourism within the national park.

In the Banyuwangi part of the Meru Betiri National Park, villagers were assisted in starting farms that produce duck and quail eggs. These villagers are planning to expand their business to goat raising.

Some villagers sell their products, such as traditional herbal drinks, on e-commerce platforms.

A farmer collects quail eggs from cages in Kandangan village, Banyuwangi, East Java on Feb. 16, 2021. Several farmers in the village are former loggers who cut down trees illegally within the area of Meru Betiri National Park in the province. Photo by Kharishar Kahfi

“We’re working together to make sure that their business activities are sustainable and in line with the nature conservation principles,” Maman said.

In exchange for alternative sources of income, the park management asked the villagers to participate in the forest restoration efforts within Meru Betiri. Once responsible for cutting down trees, the former illegal loggers are now tasked with reporting any wrongdoing to the authorities.

Some villagers have received assistance to work on nurseries for tree seedlings that will be planted in the national park. One of them is Sutarto, a farmer from Sanenrejo village, who has worked to replant trees in the national park since 2017. At a nursery in the village, he prepared seeds of durian, jackfruit and sugar palm that will be planted by Suhartono and his colleagues in the forest. 

In the restoration project in Meru Betiri, the national park management and villagers prioritized planting fast-growing native plants, such as blackboard tree or pulai (Alstonia scholaris), or so-called multipurpose trees, such as durian and jackfruit, which can also be harvested for consumption.

“The village has many opportunities. But until now, we’re still limited to harvesting produce and selling it at the market. In the future, we can hopefully process our harvest before selling it,” Sutarto said.

Climate crisis mitigation

The Meru Betiri forest is deemed an important location not only for conservation purposes but also for mitigating the climate crisis by sequestering carbon emissions. The forest is one of the last tropical rainforests in the country’s most populous island of Java.

Between 2013 and 2014, the forest hosted one of 70 pilot projects for a tropical forest conservation plan across the country as part of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative.

This photo taken on Feb. 16, 2021 shows the entrance gate to Meru Betiri National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java. The national park has been marred by deforestation for years, but villagers and local authorities work together in saving the remaining part of the forest. Photo by Kharishar Kahfi

The project comprised of several phases that started with planning and initiating forest protection and restoration measures that involved local residents and ended with monitoring and verifying carbon emissions saved from the efforts.

In 2011, authorities set a baseline emission reduction target of 29 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Four years later, authorities declared that the project had failed in reaching the emission reduction targets as well as in curbing deforestation and significantly restoring parts of the forest.

According to data from the national park, around 3,300 ha, or 6.5 percent of the total national park area of 52,626 ha, had been deforested as of July last year.

“Therefore, it’s important for us to reduce local residents’ dependence on timber from the forest. We hope this strategy will help the villagers use the forest in a more sustainable way that is in line with conservation principles,” Maman said.

Wahyoe Boediawardhana and Tri Indah Oktavianti of The Jakarta Post contributed reporting

slot thailand slot88 joker123 zeus slot slot mania habanero idn slot jdb slot slot gacor maxwin slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand sv388 slot kamboja idn slot slot ovo habanero slot petir slot dana slot maxwin slot ovo starlight princess live casino slot zeus pg soft slot olympus ibcbet maxwin slot thailand slot pgsoft slot slot mahjong zeus slot digmaan slot mania slot pulsa jdb slot slot777 slot shopee slot spade gaming slot thailand slot thailand fafaslot nolimit city slot princess fafaslot fafa slot slot princess slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong slot gopay slot88 slot toto slot server thailand slot thailand slot77 slot gacor slot thailand slot server thailand slot thailand akun gacor slot maxwin slot gacor slot thailand slot kakek zeus Pg Soft Maxbet Ibcbet Starlight Princess Slot Ovo Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Sv388 Sbobet Slot Dana Slot Thailand Slot Thailand Digmaan Sv388 Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Slot Dana Slot Gacor Slot Anti Rungkat baccarat roulette sicbo casino online sv388 tembak ikan online sbobet slot macau slot thailand slot thailand slot88 situs slot wwg slot wm casino tembak ikan slot thailand slot wala meron slot nolimit city slot pg slot gacor slot88 slot50000 slot mahjong slot thailand 66k bet slot daftar judi slot online indonesia slot mahjong ways slot thailand mahjong ways slot gacor slot mawin slot gacor slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot gacor slot gopay slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot gacor judi slot slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot mahjong ways 2 slot pragmatic slot demo pragmatic slot demo pg soft demo slot pragmatic slot gacor 4d slot pg soft pgslot pgsoft pgsoft sv388 slot88 pgsoft slot thailand slot88 slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot dana fafaslot slot ovo slot jepang judi slot gacor slot rusia Situs Daftar Judi Slot Mahjong Ways 1 dan 2 PG Soft Online PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot Kakek Zeus RTP Slot > Daftar Situs Judi Slot Gacor Mahjong Ways 2 PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Terbaik Situs Slot Online Gacor Dan Agen Slot Pragmatic Play Terpercaya Slot Gacor: Situs Slot Online Pragmatic Play & Bocoran Pola Slot Situs Slot Online Terbaik Terpercaya dan Terbesar di Indonesia Slot Kakek Zeus Daftar Link Slot Olympus Terbaru Slot Dana Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia Sabung Ayam Online Sv388 Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online SLOT88 SLOT PG SOFT GACOR Bandar Slot Daftar Situs Judi Online Terbaik & Terpercaya Gacor power gaming sv388 lucky neko slot gacor slot gacor slot88 slot kakek slot pg slot kakek zeus slot dana slot maxwin slot server luar negeri slot thailand Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Daftar Slot Dana Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play lucky Neko Daftar & Login Slot PG Judi Slot 88 Online Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Slot Mahjong Ways 2 Mudah Jackpot Paus di PG Soft Hari ini 2023 Lucky Neko Situs Slot Gacor Pgsoft Hari Ini Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus SITUS SABUNG AYAM SV388 ONLINE DAFTAR LINK LOGIN APK AGEN SV388 Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia SBOBET Login Agen Judi Bola Sbobet Mahjong Ways | Slot PG | Slot Mahjong Ways 2 | Slot PGsoft | Daftar Slot Mahjong Situs Joker123 | Joker123 | Joker Gaming | Daftar Slot Joker Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Agen Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Terpercaya Slot Kakek Zeus : Daftar RTP Judi Slot Online Gacor Gampang Menang Joker123 Game Slot Gacor Joker Gaming Casino Online Indonesia Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play