DIALEKTIKA KUNINGAN — Pressure is mounting for the immediate issuance of a conservation partnership MoU. After years of legal limbo, pine resin farmers working in the traditional zone of Mount Ciremai National Park (TNGC) are beginning to sense a shift.
The Kuningan Regency administration in West Java has now taken a more hands-on approach. The voices of buffer village residents who depend on non-timber forest products (HHBK) are no longer being left unanswered.
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Bupati Kuningan Dr. H. Dian Rachmat Yanuar convened a closed meeting at the Pendopo. The discussion, which ran from 2 p.m. local time into the late afternoon, took place amid ongoing public debate over resin tapping.
The issue has rarely been quiet. Supporters and critics continue to exchange arguments, both offline and across social platforms.
From 13 buffer villages in Kuningan, five village heads and five leaders of Forest Farmer Groups (KTH) attended. They came with a single request: the state must formalize a conservation partnership MoU with Balai Taman Nasional Gunung Ciremai (TNGC).
Their effort is not recent. For more than five years, they say, administrative steps have been completed, yet no final decision has been issued.
Earlier, concerns about the traditional zone were also raised collectively through Paguyuban Silihwangi Majakuning. The association connects resin farmers from Kuningan and Majalengka who feel directly affected by conservation policies.
They argue that environmental protection should not overlook social realities on the ground. The number of resin tappers may be limited, but their households rely on the activity for daily income.
Historically, resin tapping predates Mount Ciremai’s designation as a national park. It once operated legally under the management of Perum Perhutani in Kuningan.
For local communities, tapping pine resin is not a new practice. It is a livelihood passed down across generations.
The absence of the MoU, however, has left farmers exposed. They insist that all procedural requirements for the partnership have been met.
Meanwhile, negative perceptions surrounding resin tapping continue to grow. Some criticism comes from outside the buffer villages, raising fears of potential social friction.
After the meeting, Puncak Village Head Tatang Mustofa described the dialogue with Bupati Kuningan as encouraging. He stressed that a formal MoU would provide legal certainty and help prevent tensions in the field.
According to him, Bupati Kuningan pledged to guard the community’s aspirations while staying within national and ministerial regulatory frameworks.
Pasawahan Village Head Nurpin echoed that sentiment. In his view, the partnership process is nearing completion and awaits formal approval.
He said Bupati Kuningan has positioned himself neutrally amid the debate. If the MoU is issued, the local government is prepared to oversee its implementation.
In the coming days, Bupati Kuningan plans to communicate directly with the Mount Ciremai National Park Authority. The aim is to clarify progress and minimize the risk of horizontal conflict.
Cisantana Village Head Ano Suratno underlined that legal certainty is essential to ease tensions. Prolonged ambiguity, he warned, only deepens the divide between residents, environmental advocates, and authorities.
He also called on media outlets and social media users to present balanced coverage. The public, he said, needs a comprehensive understanding of the traditional zone framework.
A traditional zone within a national park is designed to recognize the rights of buffer village communities, provided activities align with conservation principles.
In Mount Ciremai’s context, the HHBK partnership scheme is viewed as a bridge between environmental protection and the economic sustainability of local residents.
The direct involvement of Bupati Kuningan is now seen as an attempt to break a long-standing deadlock. Attention is turning to the next round of talks with the national park authority, which could shape the policy direction ahead.***
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