*When fire swept through nearly 20 hectares of the Bukit Gedang customary forest in 2010, a farmer named Lansim, from the Kerinci ethnic group, transformed into a key figure leading the movement for customary forest recognition on the slopes of Mount Kerinci, Jambi.*

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Lansim is a humble man who has always felt deeply connected to the Bukit Gedang customary forest in Kerinci Regency. He has never strayed far from this ancestral land—a place that serves not only as a source of food but also as an identity for the people of Pendung Hilir Village. In his daily life, he cultivates rice fields, tends to his robusta coffee garden, and cares for cinnamon trees that his family has planted for generations.

Beyond his work as a farmer, Lansim also carries the responsibility of serving as the Head of the Customary Forest Management Institution and as a traditional leader of the village.

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> “I was born here, on this land. We are the Kerinci people—an old tribe that has long lived in harmony with the forest,” he said.

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As a child, Lansim often followed his parents into the forest to gather firewood for cooking. From the bamboo that grew along the forest edge, he and his friends would make bamboo cannons—a traditional toy that filled the air with excitement every Eid celebration. For young Lansim, the forest was a playground, a classroom, and a place to grow.

### Awakening Awareness

Awareness of the importance of gaining formal recognition for the customary forest began with a painful lesson in 2010, when fire destroyed nearly 20 hectares of Bukit Gedang—part of Pendung Hilir’s customary forest area. Equipped with only simple tools, the villagers struggled to extinguish the flames until assistance finally arrived from the BPBD, the military, the police, and the Forest Management Unit (KPHP). For Lansim, that disaster was a harsh warning: without legal recognition, their customary forest would remain vulnerable to destruction and exploitation by outsiders.

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Together with the traditional elders, the villagers of Pendung Hilir, and with facilitation from KPHP Unit Kerinci, they began organizing themselves in 2010. They held numerous meetings, mapped the forest area, and planted boundary markers. As the newly trusted head of the Customary Forest Management Institution, Lansim stood at the forefront of the struggle.

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Over time, with continuous support from the local NGO Walestra (Wahana Pelestarian dan Advokasi Hutan Sumatera)—a member of Aliansi Kolibri—the community’s efforts to secure formal recognition of their customary forest became increasingly structured and determined. They prepared the required documents, mapped the territory, established a management institution, drafted customary forest regulations, and pushed for formal recognition from the government.

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After eight years of relentless advocacy, their long struggle finally bore fruit in 2018, when the government officially issued a decree recognizing the Bukit Gedang Customary Forest.

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> “Without a legal basis, outsiders could easily damage our forest and we would have no power to resist. Our goal was clear—to have the legal foundation to protect the forest, fight illegal logging, and safeguard the natural wealth passed down by our ancestors,” Lansim emphasized.

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The journey was far from easy. The threat of illegal logging persisted, and bureaucratic processes were long and complex. Yet, the spirit of Pendung Hilir’s people never wavered. They understood that their customary forest was essential to life itself—providing water for rice fields, clean air, fertile soil resistant to erosion, and habitat for wildlife.

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> “If we give up, it means we are letting our village lose its future,” Lansim declared.

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Today, after gaining official recognition, the people of Pendung Hilir manage the Bukit Gedang Customary Forest under strict customary regulations. Patrols are conducted once a month on a rotating basis. Wood harvesting is permitted only for public needs or the construction of places of worship, and replanting is mandatory to ensure every villager shares responsibility for preservation.

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For Lansim, the customary forest is both a source of pride and a sacred duty. He hopes that the younger generation will not only hear stories about the forest but will also take part in managing and benefiting from it. His wish is simple yet powerful: that the government continues to provide real support—through recognition, incentives, and respect—so that the management of customary forests remains sustainable and just for the community.

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What makes him most proud is seeing the tangible results: the flowing water from Bukit Gedang that nourishes rice fields, fills fish ponds, and provides clean water for the villagers.

*Ketika api melalap hampir 20 hektare hutan adat Bukit Gedang  pada 2010, Lansim seorang petani suku Kerinci berubah menjadi penggerak perjuangan hutan adat di lereng gunung Kerinci, Jambi.*

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Lansim seorang lelaki sederhana dari Suku Kerinci yang selalu merasa dekat dan melekat dengan hutan adat Bukit Gedang, Kabupaten Kerinci. Lansim tak pernah jauh dari tanah ini, tanah leluhur yang bukan hanya menjadi sumber pangan, tapi juga identitas bagi masyarakat Desa Pendung Hilir. Sehari-harinya ia menekuni sawah padi, merawat kebun kopi robusta, dan pohon kayu manis yang sudah turun-temurun ditanam keluarganya.

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Di balik kesibukan sebagai petani, Lansim juga memikul amanah sebagai Ketua Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Adat sekaligus pengurus adat desa. *“Saya lahir di sini, di tanah ini. Kami adalah orang Kerinci, suku tua yang sejak dulu hidup bersandar pada hutan,”* jelasnya.

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Di masa kecil, Lansim kerap ikut orangtuanya mencari kayu bakar untuk memasak. Dari bambu yang tumbuh di pinggir hutan, ia dan kawan-kawan membuat meriam bambu, permainan khas yang selalu hadir setiap lebaran. Bagi Lansim kecil, hutan adalah ruang bermain, ruang belajar, dan ruang tumbuh.

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**Kesadaran yang Tumbuh**

Kesadaran akan pentingnya pengakuan terhadap kawasan hutan adat bermula dari kejadian pahit tahun 2010, ketika kebakaran melalap hampir 20 hektare Bukit Gedang yang merupakan wilayah kawasan hutan adat desa Pendung Hilir. Masyarakat dengan peralatan seadanya berjuang memadamkan api, dan merasa kewalahan memadamkannya dengan peralatan yang terbatas hingga bantuan datang dari BPBD, TNI, Polri, dan KPHP. Bagi Lansim, kejadian itu adalah peringatan keras: tanpa pengakuan hukum secara formal, kawasan hutan hutan adat yang mereka miliki akan rentan rusak, serta akan rentan diganggu oleh pihak luar.

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Bersama tetua adat, masyarakat desa Pendung Hilir, dengan difasilitasi KPHP Unit Kerinci, mereka mulai mengorganisir diri sejak 2010. Rapat demi rapat digelar, wilayah kawasan hutan adat digambar, dan patok batas ditanam. Lansim, yang saat itu sudah dipercaya menjadi Ketua Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Adat, tampil di garis depan perjuangan.

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Seiring dengan berjalannya waktu, dengan didampingi oleh NGO lokal Walestra (Wahana Pelestarian dan Advokasi Hutan Sumatera)—anggota Aliansi Kolibri— proses mendorong pengakuan kawasan hutan adat secara formal semakin intens dilakukan oleh masyarakat desa Pendung Hilir. Mereka mempersiapkan prasyarat dokumen yang diperlukan , memetakan wilayah kawasan hutan adat, membentuk lembaga pengelola, membuat peraturan tertulis terkait kawasan hutan adat, memasang patok batas, hingga mendorong proses pengajuan kawasan hutan adat untuk diakui secara resmi kepada Pemerintah. Perjuangan panjang itu memakan waktu delapan tahun, hingga akhirnya pada 2018 pemerintah menerbitkan SK yang mengakui Hutan Adat Bukit Gedang secara sah.

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*“Kalau tidak ada dasar hukum secara legal formal, orang luar akan bisa seenaknya merusak hutan adat kami tidak bisa melawan. Tujuannya jelas. Agar kami punya dasar hukum untuk menjaga hutan, melawan penebangan liar, dan melindungi kekayaan alam yang telah diwariskan oleh para leluhur kami dari pihak luar,”* tegas Lansim.

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Perjalanan itu tidak mudah. Ancaman penebangan ilegal masih membayangi, sementara proses birokrasi panjang dan penuh dinamika. Namun, semangat masyarakat desa Pendung Hilir tidak pernah padam. Mereka tahu, wilayah kawasan hutan adat adalah penyangga hidup mereka: air untuk sawah, udara bersih, tanah yang terjaga dari erosi, hingga ruang hidup satwa.

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*“Kalau kami menyerah, artinya kami biarkan desa ini kehilangan masa depan,”* tegas Lansim.

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Kini, setelah penetapan Hutan Adat Bukit Gedang, masyarakat Pendung Hilir mengelolanya dengan aturan adat yang ketat. Patroli dilakukan sebulan sekali secara bergantian, pengambilan kayu di dalam kawasan hutan adat hanya untuk kepentingan umum dan pembuatan rumah ibadah, dan kewajiban menanam kembali menjadi syarat mutlak sebagai cara agar setiap masyarakat desa Pendung Hilir merasa memiliki tanggung jawab.

Bagi Lansim, hutan adat adalah kebanggaan sekaligus tanggung jawab. Ia ingin generasi muda tak hanya mengenalnya lewat cerita, tapi juga turut mengelola dan merasakan manfaatnya.

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Harapannya sederhana: pemerintah memberi dukungan nyata—baik penghargaan maupun insentif—agar pengelolaan hutan adat bisa berlanjut dan adil bagi masyarakat. Yang paling membanggakan baginya adalah melihat hasil nyata: air yang mengalir dari Bukit Gedang menyuburkan sawah, mengisi kolam ikan, bahkan menjadi air minum bagi warga.

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The Struggle for the Recognition of the Bukit Gedang Customary Forest in Kerinci District