Lebak, Banten, Dec. 4 -- Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS) authorities are urging illegal miners to help safeguard the conservation forest, warning that continued degradation risks triggering future disasters.

Park head Budi Chandra said officials are stepping up education and outreach to persuade miners to abandon activities that damage the forest.

Routine monitoring is used to raise awareness of the ecological risks, he said, noting that recent disasters in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh underscore the consequences of environmental decline.

Weekly patrols sweep the park's 105,072-hectare zone, which stretches across Lebak, Bogor and Sukabumi Districts.

Field teams regularly visit illegal gold-mining sites with local c...