Legal Protection of Forest Areas that Have Changed Their Function to A Social Function According to Presidential Regulation Number 88 of 2017
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46799/adv.v4i11.779Keywords:
Land Tenure, Land Rights, Forest Areas, Social Functions, Presidential Regulation Number 88 of 2017Abstract
Forests constitute essential natural resources under state control, managed to promote environmental sustainability and the welfare of society. Their existence is also regarded as a blessing bestowed by God Almighty to support human life and meet the needs of present and future generations. Under Indonesian forestry law, a forest area refers to a specific territory designated or stipulated by the government to be maintained as permanent forest. Although forest areas are frequently perceived as territories designated exclusively for conservation and forestry-related activities, many communities have historically inhabited, cultivated, or undertaken socioeconomic activities within these areas. Such circumstances frequently give rise to disputes concerning land tenure, access rights, and the legal status of community settlements, particularly when government-issued forestry permits overlap with existing community land claims. Agrarian conflicts may consequently emerge from competing interests and differing interpretations of land rights among individuals, communities, legal entities, and government institutions. This study employed a normative juridical research method using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches to examine the legal protection of communities occupying forest areas and the mechanisms available for resolving land tenure disputes. The findings indicated that the recognition and settlement of community land tenure claims within forest areas could be pursued through the Penyelesaian Penguasaan Tanah dalam Kawasan Hutan (PPTKH), or Settlement of Land Tenure in Forest Areas, framework and the Tanah Objek Reforma Agraria (TORA), or Agrarian Reform Land Objects, program, as regulated under Presidential Regulation Number 88 of 2017 concerning the Settlement of Land Tenure in Forest Areas, in conjunction with Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 7 of 2021 concerning Forestry Planning, Changes in Forest Area Designation and Function, and the Use of Forest Areas. The applicable settlement mechanisms included adjustments to forest area boundaries, access arrangements through social forestry schemes, and resettlement, depending on the legal status and characteristics of the land concerned. These mechanisms provided a regulatory framework for addressing community land tenure conflicts while seeking to balance legal certainty, social welfare, and forest conservation objectives.
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