The impact of the Industrial Forest Plantation and Transmigration Project on the local community (a case study in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

In 1992 PT Hutan Kusuma stalted implementing the Plantation and Transmigration Project based on the act of Ministry of Forestry No.257 of 1992. The purpose of the project was to improve and manage forest resources by establishing an industrial forest plantation and to increase job opportunities for local people and transmigrants. This thesis is a case study of the PT Hutan Kusuma Plantation and Transmigration Project. It reports a qualitative analysis of project implementation related to the local community in Ritan Baru Village. The data and information were collected primarily during a one-month visit to the project area and Ritan Baru Village. Rapid Rural Appraisal was the method used in this study. The method included using open-ended interviews as a technique to collect primary data and information. The following conclusions were drawn: PT Hutan Kusuma has not yet implemented the transmigration program, but the company can learn from its experience interacting with the local community. The HTI-Trans project concentrated more on the plantation and transmigration; therefore, not enough attention has been given to the interest of the local community. The local community receives some benefits such as job opportunities, increase income, improving physical access to the area, introduction of new species, and facilitate contacts with outsiders. However, they also have problems such as increasing dependency on the company, reduce income for non-timber forest products, reduce land available for cultivation, and reduce traditional respect. The company is the closest institution that has responsibility to develop the nearby village; in this study case: Ritan Baru Village. The result are specific to the study area and may not valid in other areas of Indonesia.