Legal Literacy - Activity pine resin tapping which has been going on for years in the Mount Ciremai National Park (TNGC) area, has once again become a serious public concern. This practice of utilizing forest products without legal certainty is considered to not only potentially disrupt the balance of the ecosystem but also indicate the weakness of the state's supervisory function in strategic conservation areas.
TNGC is a national conservation area that has very high ecological value. Apart from functioning as a bastion of biodiversity in the eastern region of West Java, this area is also the main buffer for the upstream of the River Basin (DAS) which supports the water needs and lives of millions of residents in Kuningan, Cirebon and Majalengka Regencies. With this strategic function, every form of utilization activity must be subject to strict regulations and the precautionary principle.
Administratively, the TNGC area stretches across three regencies, namely Kuningan, Majalengka, and a small part of Cirebon. This condition requires clear zoning-based governance, layered supervision and full compliance with forestry laws and regulations. However, the reality on the ground shows that there are structured economic activities that run without a formal licensing basis.
In the Majalengka Regency area, tapping activity pine resin has been identified as taking place in the Padaherang Block, the working area of the National Park Management Section (SPTN) Region II Majalengka under the Mount Ciremai National Park Agency (BTNGC). This activity is carried out by the Mekar Raharja Forest Farmer Group (KTH) chaired by Sanukri, without holding an official permit to utilize forest products in the national park area.
The scale of this tapping activity is significant. Based on information from local residents, during the dry season pine resin production can reach around 12 tons in one harvest, while in the rainy season the volume decreases by almost half. This data shows that there is a sustainable economic activity with high commercial value.
However, residents admit that they have never received an official explanation regarding the legal status of the activity, standard operating procedures (SOP), potential ecological impacts or environmental monitoring mechanisms. In fact, the tapping activity takes place in the traditional zone of the national park which in principle remains under the full control of the state.
Upon confirmation, the SPTN Region II Majalengka, through the Head of Section, Halu Oleo, in his official capacity, acknowledged that there are currently no official permits for the utilization of non-timber forest products (HHBK) in the TNGC area. This acknowledgment confirms that the tapping activities taking place in the field do not have a legitimate legal basis.
The management also stated that this activity has been structurally known up to the central level, citing the incomplete administrative process of licensing. This situation raises serious questions regarding the consistency of law enforcement and the effectiveness of oversight functions in the national park area.
In terms of guidance, the TNGC Center is known to cooperate with the Paguyuban KTH Silihwangi Majakuning, which oversees the Majalengka and Kuningan Regency areas. However, this guidance scheme is considered not to have addressed fundamental issues, particularly regarding the legality of activities and the oversight mechanism for the utilization of forest products in conservation areas.
From an economic perspective, residents also question the transparency of the flow of funds from pine resin tapping. The commodity is said to be priced at around Rp. 5,500 per kilogram, with information indicating a deduction of Rp. 500 per kilogram earmarked for the village. To date, the management mechanism and realization of these funds have never been disclosed openly to the public.
This ambiguity raises concerns about potential abuse of authority, illegal levies, and conflicts of interest that could harm the community and the state. Without official permits, it is certain that there are no recorded non-tax state revenues (PNBP) from the utilization of these forest products.
An environmental observer considers the toleration of unauthorized activities in conservation areas as a bad precedent for forest protection efforts. According to him, weak law enforcement in national park areas has the potential to cause long-term ecological impacts that are difficult to recover.
In terms of regulation, Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry and Law Number 18 of 2013 explicitly prohibit the extraction of forest products without a permit, with the threat of criminal penalties and heavy fines. In addition, Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 8 of 2021 emphasizes that the scheme for utilizing non-timber forest products does not apply in conservation forest areas, including national parks.
In response to this condition, the Chairman of Commission III of the Majalengka Regency DPRD, H. Iing Misbahuddin, S.M., expressed deep concern. He assessed that unauthorized economic activity in conservation areas reflects the weakness of the state's control function.
“If large-scale activities can proceed without official permits, then what is at stake is not only the ecosystem, but also the authority of the state,” he asserted.
He added that any forest products that are removed without a legal basis have the potential to cause losses to the state and the region.
“Without permits, there is no recording and no transparency. This is prone to harming the public,” he added.
H. Iing Misbahuddin also reminded that local communities should not bear the legal risks in the future due to weak governance. According to him, the state must be present to provide clear, fair, and environmentally protective legal certainty.
The case of pine resin tapping in the TNGC area is now a serious test for the consistency of conservation area management. Strict law enforcement, continuous supervision, and transparent governance are considered urgent to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem and the sustainability of the ecological function of the Mount Ciremai National Park.
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