PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) has intensified its law enforcement and conservation efforts in Tesso Nilo National Park (TN Tesso Nilo), Riau. Between May and July 2025, the government successfully cleared 775 hectares of illegal oil palm plantations within the protected area—part of a broader mission to restore critical forest ecosystems that serve as habitats for endangered species like the Sumatran elephant and Sumatran tiger.
“Over the past three months, we have destroyed more than 700 hectares of oil palm planted within Tesso Nilo National Park,” said Lukita Awang Nistyantara, Secretary of the Directorate General of Forest Law Enforcement, during a press conference at the Ministry’s headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/7/2025).
In addition to land clearance, the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) has carried out intensive patrols across 993 locations within the park to prevent forest fires—an ever-present threat to the fragile ecosystem and its wildlife.
Also Read: Eradicating Illegal Palm Oil and Replanting Trees: A Joint Effort to Restore Tesso Nilo
According to Lukita, the Ministry is now prioritizing a preventive approach as the core of its forest fire mitigation strategy. This includes strengthening the role of Manggala Agni Desa (Village Fire Brigades) in working with local communities to identify fire-prone areas and encouraging the use of village funds for fire prevention programs.
“Once a fire breaks out, it’s extremely difficult and costly to control. That’s why prevention is far more effective,” Lukita emphasized.
Community Relocation and Ecosystem Recovery
Meanwhile, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni confirmed that the government has prepared relocation sites for residents who had previously occupied and cultivated land illegally within TN Tesso Nilo. The relocation initiative is part of a broader conservation rehabilitation plan to recover degraded land.
“We’re prioritizing a soft power approach in handling encroachment. The government encourages voluntary relocation by affected communities. However, alternative land and social support schemes are also in place,” Minister Raja Juli explained.
The relocation process is overseen by the Tesso Nilo Post-Occupation Recovery Acceleration Task Force (TP4), a regional team formed by the Governor of Riau. The task force is responsible for planning, securing relocation land, providing aid, and ensuring the transition aligns with mutually agreed terms.
Encouragingly, some community members and plantation operators have voluntarily handed over their land to the state. Two major clearance operations have already been completed: 401 hectares were removed on June 29, 2025, and another 311 hectares on July 2, 2025.
This initiative marks a critical step toward restoring the ecological integrity of Tesso Nilo, which has suffered for years due to illegal land conversion and unauthorized plantation activities. The government reaffirmed its commitment to continue conservation enforcement in a firm yet humane manner to protect Indonesia’s biodiversity and ecological future. (P2)
