FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia

Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2004, the state government announced the intention for the formation of the Gunung Stong
State Park (GSSP), within the 21,950 ha area of forest reserve known as the Gunung Stong
Tengah Forest Reserve managed by the Forestry Department, Kelantan. The gazettement of
the State Park will follow the Perlis State Park model, with management responsibilities,
retained by the Kelantan State Forestry Department and reporting to a State Parks
Management Committee, with a State Parks Steering Committee formed, under the
chairmanship of the Mentri Besar.
A protected area like the GSSP needs a management plan, especially if it is also promoted as
an eco-tourism destination. A detailed management plan may take a few years to complete; it
is the intention of the preliminary management plan to provide a rapid, stopgap measure in
the interim, especially in addressing some of the pertinent issues that should be resolved.
Thus, the objectives of the preliminary management plan are as follows:
• To provide a framework for an efficient management system for the park;
• To enable the effective protection of GSSP and its resources;
• To promote the recognition of the biological and economic resources of GSSP, by
scientific means; and
• To provide recommendations for improving the standard of living of the local
community, and their level of conservation awareness.
GSSP is currently still under the management of the Kelantan Barat District of the State
Forestry Department, based at Tanah Merah, though it is located within the Kuala Krai
District, or more precisely, the South Kuala Krai Sub-District, with an office at Dabong.
Apart from adjacent forest reserves, the land use surrounding GSSP is predominantly rural
agriculture, mostly of rubber, oilpalm, and fruit orchards. Most of rubber and oilpalm is
planted under areas developed by KESEDAR, FELCRA, and RISDA, while most fruit
orchards are by smallholders.
The value of GSSP lies in its position as part of the large forested landscape that also includes
the Main Range, the Belum-Temengor area (c. 300,000 ha) in Perak, the Ulu Muda forests (c.
120,000 ha) in Kedah, and their extension, the Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary and the Bang
Lang National Park in Thailand.
The purpose of GSSP is the conservation of the biological, physical and hydrological
resources of Gunung Stong and their related ecological systems, while allowing for limited
eco-tourism activities.
The indicator for the purpose is that vegetation, wildlife, fisheries, other biological, physical,
and hydrological resources, show no significant decline within the 5 years of the
implementation of the Preliminary Management Plan and beyond, while limited eco-tourism
activities are allowed.
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