Present State of Community Forestry (Hutan Kemasyarakatan/HKm) Program in a Protection Forest and Its Challenges: Case Study in Lampung Province, Indonesia

This article discusses the state of a community forestry program in a protection forest in Indonesia, which has been running for almost two decades. We found that the program did not achieve its objective mainly because of frequent changes in regulations. There are also activities such as: measuring and mapping working area boundaries, drawing up a work plan, planting, maintenance and security, paying royalties to those who harvest forest resources, and submitting annual reports on land use to the district government head, which have not worked as expected. We also found that the major incentives for local people to participate in the program are getting certificates of management and the program's effectiveness in minimizing land-use conflicts. Participants perceived that their major role on the program is to follow farmer-group directives or government rules. To achieve the program's purposes, farmer groups need technical assistance related to protection-forest management and opportunities for financing.