Community-based forest management for ecotourism in Wonorejo Mangrove area, Surabaya, East Java

Abstract

Abstract. Nurdela J, Ichwandi I. 2015. Community-based forest management for ecotourism in Wonorejo Mangrove area, Surabaya, East Java. Bonorowo Wetlands 5: 44-53. Community-based forest management means that the community is the main actor in forest management. Community-based forest management at Wonorejo Mangrove Forest (HMW) is implemented from Peraturan Walikota No. 65 2011 pasal 6 about community empowerment. Institutions’ interests are important in ruling HMW management. The institutions on HMW management are the department of agriculture and forestry, department of tourism, department of communication, Wonorejo official, Bintang Timur Farm Group, Mangrove Parking Group, Institution of Village Community Endurance (LKMK) Wonorejo, and Boat Ecotourism Group. Rehabilitation gives a positive impact on the sustainability of HMW, with increasing of forest districts up to 73.28 ha in 2014. Besides, the benefit of HMW rehabilitation for Department of agriculture and forestry are seed sources from the other equivalent with Rp.103,782,000 at 2010 to 2013. Whereas, the benefit of rehabilitation for Bintang Timur Farm Group is cash income as big as Rp.28,000,000, from land preparations cost and Bintang Timur Farm Group seed’s sale. Rehabilitation programs in HMW give a positive impact on ecotourism development. Ecotourism activities at HMW are tourism boating, and walking on jogging tracks. Besides, to support tourism activity there are parking area and food court. Ecotourism activity gives economic benefit to ecotourism business institutions at HMW, which are Boat Ecotourism Group, manager of jogging track (LKMK), Food seller, and Mangrove Parking Group with a total economic benefit up to Rp. 822,730,000 annually, by a sum of the institutions’ income.