History Of Ujung Kulon National Park To The Present

The history of Ujung Kulon National Park is useful information for visitors. This National Park is one of the nature conservation areas. Ujung Kulon National Park is located in the westernmost part of Java Island, precisely in Pandeglang Regency, Banten Province. This national park is famous as the last habitat for the Javan Rhinoceros, which is the rarest rhino species in the world.

Discoverer of Ujung Kulon

The Ujung Kulon area was first introduced by a German botanist, named F. Junghun in 1846. This park was discovered when Junghun was collecting tropical plants.

In 1846, the richness of the flora and fauna of Ujung Kulon began to be known by researchers. The journey to Ujung Kulon was included in a scientific journal several years later.

The eruption of Mount Krakatoa

There were not many records about Ujung Kulon until the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883. The enormity of the eruption of Krakatoa produced a tsunami wave approximately 15 meters high.

This eruption devastated settlements, wildlife, and vegetation in Ujung Kulon. Several years later it was discovered that the ecosystem-vegetation and wildlife in Ujung Kulon grew well and quickly after the eruption.

Determination of Areas

Several forest areas in Ujung Kulon were designated as protected areas. The following is the order of the determination of the Ujung Kulon area by year.

The Ujung Kulon Peninsula and Panaitan Island were designated by the Dutch East Indies Government as a Nature Reserve Area on November 16, 1921.
General Van Nederlandch determined the status of the Nature Reserve area, then changed it to a Wildlife Reserve Area by including Peucang Island and Panaitan Island on June 24, 1937.
The Ujung Kulon area changed its status back to a Nature Reserve Area by including a sea area 500 meters wide from the lowest low tide limit based on the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture dated April 17, 1958.
The 10,000 Ha South Mount Honje area, which is adjacent to the eastern part of the Ujung Kulon Peninsula, was designated as the Ujung Kulon Nature Reserve through the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture dated March 16, 1967.
The 9,498 Ha North Mount Honje area was included in the Ujung Kulon Nature Reserve area through the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture dated January 11, 1979.
In 1991, the UNESCO World Heritage Commission Establishing Ujung Kulon National Park as a Natural World Heritage Site on February 15, 1991.
Ujung Kulon was designated as Ujung Kulon National Park with a total area of 122,956 Ha consisting of 78,619 Ha of land and 44,337 Ha of water through the Decree of the Minister of Forestry dated February 26, 1992.
Designated as a Model National Park based on the Decree of the Director General of Forest Protection and Conservation dated May 3, 2006.

Designated as a National Strategic Area from the perspective of environmental function and carrying capacity in Government Regulation No. 26 of 2008.

Forest Boundary Arrangement Development

Every few years, Ujung Kulon National Park receives an update on forest boundary arrangement. The following is a confirmation of the state forest boundaries in Ujung Kulon National Park based on the year.

In 1980, Boundary Arrangement was carried out in the G. Honje Nature Reserve and was ratified on February 2, 1982 by the Minister of Agriculture.
In 1995, the Ujung Kulon National Park Boundary Reconstruction in the G. Honje area was carried out by the Forestry Planning Agency.
In 1999, the Forestry Planning Agency installed yellow beacon signs at Tj. Alang-alang and staked reference points at Tj. Sodong, Tj. Layar, Tj. Alang-alang, Tj. Parat and Tj. Cina.
On September 23, 1999, the Minister of Forestry and Plantations designated the Ujung Kulon National Park Water Area covering 44,337 Ha as a Water Nature Conservation Area.
In 2004, the Forest Area Improvement Center (BPKH) Region XI Java - Madura carried out the Reconstruction of the Ujung Kulon National Park Boundaries in the Mount Honje area.

Ujung Kulon National Park Today

The Sumatran rhinoceros and the Javan rhinoceros are rare rhinoceros species that only exist in Indonesia. Their numbers are decreasing and their habitat continues to be disturbed.

Through the Decree of the Minister of Forestry in 1992, part of the Ujung Kulon National Park area of 120,551 ha was formed, which was previously part of the Perhutani area. This change certainly has an impact on the lives of the residents.

The area that is located or directly adjacent to the national park is known as the buffer zone. One of the villages in Taman Jaya village, namely Cimenteng village, will be planned as a model for an ecological village in the buffer zone.