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