Brief Information on Indonesia’s State Forest

In general, the Indonesia official land use zone is divided into two main categories: state forest and non-state forest areas. State forest is land area that is designated by the government as “forest zone or areas” (kawasan hutan). Based on the recent Consensus of Forest Land Use (TGHK) and Provincial Spatial Plans (RTRWP), forestland in Indonesia today covers 112.5 million hectares, or almost 60% of its total land mass. This area is 31.4 million hectares less than the state forest areas were first designated in the early 1980s (see Table 1). The most common reason why state forest areas were declining is due to the area have been converted into large-scale oil palm or other government sponsored projects, such as transmigration. However, not all state forest areas are forested for the reasons that will be explained further in this brief document.