The SASHI Foundation supported by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), facilitated a preparatory workshop for Dayak Tahol Putat, Salap, and Seruyung Customary Communities to face the Technical Verification of Customary Forests by the Ministry of Forestry. This event was held on January 19, 2025, at the Salap Village Meeting Hall in Malinau District, with 43 participants. During the workshop, participants discussed the completeness of documents needed such as the structure of customary forest management, customary forest management plans, work plan maps, and basic data collection following the Ministerial Regulation of Environment and Forestry No. 9 of 2021.
Based on the discussion, it was agreed that the structure of customary forest management in each customary community would be improved, where at least 30% of the total management members must involve women. In terms of customary forest management plans and business development, participants identified various forest potentials and selected the kalalawit plant species to be traditionally valuable forest resources. Furthermore, based on the discussion of the work plan maps, each customary community only needs to provide shapefile (*shp) data of their customary forest areas to the Malinau Forest Management Unit for identification. Meanwhile, the collection of basic data including forest area boundaries, forest and land cover, existing rivers and roads, contours, planned roads, dams, and Forest Utilization Business Agreement (Persetujuan Berusaha Pemanfaatan Hutan – PBPH) boundaries can be conducted according to the needs of customary forest verification.
Another similar workshop was held again on January 22, 2025, at the Dayak Salap Customary Forest, and attended by 21 participants. The main focus of this activity was to evaluate the economic and health potential of the kalalawit root (Uncaria gambir Roxb) as the selected traditionally valuable forest resource. The participants proposed to receive support for developing a business around kalalawit root management, including processing, packaging, and marketing, to improve their economic conditions. Furthermore, the refinement of management plans for the Putat, Salap, and Seruyung Customary Forests will be supported by the Malinau Forest Management Unit after the Customary Forest Decree is released by the Ministry of Forestry.
