Leuser Ecosystem (LE) is one of the largest ecosystems in Sumatra that supports vulnerable species.Currently, LE suffers serious threat from illegal logging by outlaw actions and by local community’s over-harvesting. Many of the surrounding areas has been cleared and abandoned. Surrounding communities depend on LE for their livelihood as well as ecological services, which already disturbed. One impact of the forest destruction was 2001 large landslide in Sibande.

This eight months duration (November 2004-June 2005) project aims to reduce pressure to designated part of LE from community activities, by presenting pilot model of reforestation and utilizing abandoned land, and restore the ecological services.  Sibande is a village that located within the mountainous area directly in the border of LE. Some of the forest area is still in good condition, while some of the area has been cleared to become farmland.

Unfortunately some of the farmland located in the slopes is no longer productive, because of insufficient resources to manage the land. Whilst growing daily needs of (fire) wood, fruits and other needs the community will turn to the forest.  Sibande area is an orangutan habitat, which overlapping with local’s farming or plantation area.  Potential conflict between human and orangutan is considerably high. Moreover, this proposed initiative had received positive support from, the traditional (Adat) council called Sulang Silima. The Adat council has stated their interest in supporting conservation activities by providing land and other support for reforestation.