Lebak, Banten (ANTARA) - Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS) authorities are urging illegal miners to help safeguard the conservation forest, warning that continued degradation risks triggering future disasters.Park head Budi Chandra said officials are stepping up education and outreach to persuade miners to abandon activities that damage the forest.
Routine monitoring is used to raise awareness of the ecological risks, he said, noting that recent disasters in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh underscore the consequences of environmental decline.
Weekly patrols sweep the park’s 105,072-hectare zone, which stretches across Lebak, Bogor and Sukabumi Districts.
Field teams regularly visit illegal gold-mining sites with local conservation volunteers to explain the long-term dangers and encourage miners to stop.
The initiative aims to draw illegal miners into conservation efforts by turning them into partners of forest rangers and community stewardship teams.
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Chandra said a persuasive approach is key, adding that integrating miners as allies would help curb further ecological damage.
Banten provincial environment and forestry chief Wawan Gunawan said the regional government is also working to strengthen the livelihoods of communities living near the forest so they do not return to illegal mining.
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Programs include training for honey-bee cultivation, support for mushroom farming, and the distribution of tree seedlings, fertilizers and wages for planting activities.
Wawan said improving local economic resilience is essential to reducing reliance on illegal mining and ensuring long-term protection of the Halimun Salak conservation area.
