FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
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Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan<br />
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION<br />
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Preliminary Management Plan<br />
In 2004, the state government announced the intention to establish Gunung Stong State Park<br />
(GSSP), corresponding to the 21,950 ha area of forest reserve known as the Gunung Stong<br />
Tengah Forest Reserve managed by the State Forestry Department, Kelantan. Not yet<br />
formally gazetted as a State Park, it will follow the Perlis State Park model, with management<br />
responsibilities retained by the State Forestry Department and reporting to a State Parks<br />
Management Committee which ultimately reports to the State Parks Steering Committee<br />
under the chairmanship of the Mentri Besar of Kelantan.<br />
A protected area like the GSSP needs a management plan, especially if it is also promoted as<br />
an eco-tourism destination. Thus the needs, responsibilities, and functions must be clearly<br />
defined, to provide direction to the agency responsible for its management and planning.<br />
Nonetheless, a detailed management plan may take a few years to complete, and the State<br />
Parks Committee cannot wait that long; it is the intention of the preliminary management plan<br />
to provide a rapid, stopgap measure in the interim period, especially in addressing some of the<br />
pertinent issues that should be resolved.<br />
Thus, the objectives of the preliminary management plan are as follows:<br />
• To provide a framework for an efficient management system for the park;<br />
• To enable the effective protection of GSSP and its resources;<br />
• To promote the recognition of the biological and economic resources of GSSP, by<br />
scientific means; and<br />
• To provide recommendations for improving the standard of living of the local<br />
community, and their level of conservation awareness.<br />
1.2 Study Method<br />
Literature review was conducted following the compilation of secondary data obtained from<br />
universities, NGOs, consultants and government agencies. The information obtained relates to<br />
the history, socio-economy, land-use, biological, physical and geological resources, and<br />
tourism of the Stong area. Interviews and discussions were conducted with government<br />
officers, academics, researchers, consultants and NGOs, for other pertinent information.<br />
Where necessary, rapid biodiversity studies were conducted to fill existing gaps in<br />
information, specifically on plants, bats, birds and the Dabong caves.<br />
Ground-truthing exercises were also conducted in March and August 2005, respectively, in<br />
order to verify information obtained through secondary sources, particularly those pertaining<br />
to land-use, vegetation types and environmental impacts by human activities.<br />
Based on the analysis of the secondary data and primary data from field studies, this<br />
preliminary management plan was produced to guide GSSP managers. Perhaps GSSP could<br />
be a precursor for other protected areas in Kelantan, and this management plan provides a<br />
conceptual framework for other management plans for other protected areas that may be<br />
formed in the future.<br />
The scope of this preliminary plan is limited to GSSP and the adjacent forest reserves, the<br />
limestone hills of Dabong, and the areas within the Jeli-Dabong road corridor (principally the<br />
communities and settlements of Dabong, Kemubu, Jelawang, and Kuala Balah).<br />
1.3 Protected Areas in the Global Context<br />
Historically, protected areas are areas that have been set aside against human intervention,<br />
serve various purposes, and have been known under different names in different cultures.<br />
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