JAYAPURA - The Papua Forestry Service invites residents of Papua, more specifically those who live in forest areas, to participate in planting trees, in order to add economic value to their families.

This, according to the Head of the Papua Provincial Forestry Service, Jan Jap Ormuseray, is in line with the green economy program that is currently being intensified by the government.

"So far we have carried out a flagship program from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, with the development of ecotourism through environmental services and non-timber forest products ".

"It means that development in the forestry sector is still carried out by developing non-timber forest products and directing or diverting people not to cut trees, but to plant trees, but still get economic benefits by utilizing non-timber forest products such as honey," Jan Jap told reporters on Thursday.

In addition to honey, continued Jan Jap, people can also be encouraged to plant eucalyptus and Merbau oil trees which can also be used for carving. "At least by planting trees, there are benefits that people can get for their economic level," he continued.

Jan hopes that from now on, the community will be able to protect the forest by not encroaching on trees indiscriminately so that it will provide an opportunity to make the forest a green economy.

Because in protecting the forest, good cooperation between the city, district and other agencies is needed so that the entire area can function as it should.

"Because supervision is not only our task in the province, but also all city districts and related agencies, they have joint responsibilities".

"It is not a component of the central, provincial, district and city governments but also the entire community that together maintains that encroachment and prohibition are not carried out so that when there is rain, it does not cause natural disasters," he said. ***