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Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan With respect to GSSP, it is beyond the scope of the this preliminary management plan to determine a detailed carrying capacity study, but nevertheless, based on interviews with the BAT guides, the estimated carrying capacities at the main visitor sites are provided in Table 6.9. No. Site Location 1. Stong Resort Table 6.9: Carrying Capacities at Some Selected Sites Carrying Capacity (No. Allowed Daily) 88 Description 500 This site is frequented by picnickers and day-trippers who are less concerned with overcrowding. They are more concerned with bathing in the river, eating their packed food, and returning home. Nevertheless, their rubbish load, if left uncollected, do not leave a good impression on the resort and GSSP management as the fee of RM 2.00 per person was originally to defray the cost of rubbish collection, and not for entrance. Too many local day-trippers will diminish the ambience and devalue the sense of exclusivity of the resort and the guests’ experience. 2. Baha Camp 150 The number of visitors peak during long public and school vacations. There have been instances where about 500 visitors have camped here (pers. comm, Wesema, 2006), with obvious impacts: overflowing toilets, noise, overcrowded campsites, rubbish generation and overcrowded swimming spots. A limit of 150 will not compromise on privacy while allowing for some limited interaction with other visitors. 3. Lata Kertas 50 The picnic space here is too small to support higher numbers of visitors, but creation of trails to the forests and possible identification of new camping spots can increase the capacity further. 4. Rock Shelter 30 The rock shelter can comfortably accommodate 15, while the campsite at the base of the giant Shorea platyclados, another 15. Groups on 2-day ascents to G. Stong camp here for the night. Currently, groups of more than 20 staying here are rare. 5. G. Ayam 20 The camping site can accommodate slightly more than 20, but there is a risk of the small waterhole here being depleted of water when there are too many campers. 6. Rock Shelter 15 A small rock-shelter with a small stream passing through and habitat for a small, eel-like fish. This is a lessfrequented site, known only to the BAT guides and a few others, along the trail to the saddle between G. Ayam and G. Stong. 7. Lembah Camp 8. Batu Hampar Camp 10. Cobra Camp 15 On the saddle between G. Ayam and G. Stong, next to a small stream leading to the Sg. Semuliang. Cold and wet conditions in this sub-montane forest make this site unsuitable for larger groups due to the lack of a dry patch. 20 Next to the Sg. Semuliang, this campsite is well-stocked with fishes. Being a protected area, the no-fishing rule should be strictly enforced here. 20 On the upper reaches of the Semuliang, this site is at the confluence of the streams from G. Ayam, G. Tera, and G. Saji. From here, one can proceed to the saddle to G.
Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan Ayam or G. Stong, to G. Tera, or the montane wetland on one of the un-named peaks. 11. Tera Camp 10 At the base of G. Tera, water is available from a small stream. The steep slope limits the number of campers. 12. Gua Ikan 50 A much over-used cave visited by locals for weekend picnics, this could be promoted as a public cave. There is a patch of Cryptocoryne affinis, just some 10m downstream of the favorite dipping spot, which could be applied as a biological monitoring tool on the impact from tourism. 13. Gua Keris 30 The large chamber can accommodate more than this number, but larger volumes may result in disturbance to the bats. Some smaller chambers with interesting formations should only be shown to smaller groups. 12 Gua Puteri and Gua Pagar 20 Gua Puteri can be approached through a small passage (Gua Pagar) passable to one person at a time, and larger numbers will take a longer time to traverse the passage. As the passage is low, overcrowding may disturb the roosting bats. Gua Puteri is a smaller chamber than Gua Keris, with several deep gour pools that are filled with water in the rain season. The limitation of 20 is to reduce the impact on a population of trap-door spiders that could be a new record, or new to science. Carrying capacity is part of the planning process, a means to regulate visitor numbers with the objective of sustainable ecotourism in relation to the size of the protected area, environmental (and behavioural) sensitivity, biological resources, ecological services, topography, and the presence or lack of buffers. When carrying capacity is breached, there are two management responses: one is to increase the pricing, thus reducing the number of visitors. This is a pricing mechanism that limits the nature and recreational experience to those who value them more, and thus, willing to pay more for them, while screening out those who are less appreciative. The second response is to increase the total carrying capacity, to create new trails, to redistribute visitors to other less visited areas, or (for over-used areas), to harden trails by using more durable materials (eg. concrete surfaces on trails) to reduce erosion, especially in the development zones. Zoning is one option (see section 6.9), where the development zone, with the largest carrying capacity, has the largest concentration of infrastructure, with adequate information and activities, together with interpretive trails. Another option is to promote greater use during off-season. Nevertheless, there is a caveat in exercising the second response: increasing carrying capacity will lead to greater sewage loads, greater rubbish generation, and greater production of noise. Increasing carrying capacity will compromise the self-regenerating properties of nature. There must be procedures to be followed in construction and use of facilities, followed by adequate monitoring to ensure that they are sustainable. Otherwise, the first response (pricing mechanism) is the better alternative. With respect to GSSP, except during the occasional peak periods, current visitor numbers within GSSP have always been within the suggested carrying capacity limits. 6.12 Biological Monitoring The health of a forest can, to a certain extent, be determined through general observations of the habitat and its wildife and plants. In areas where the habitat has been disturbed, a general sign of forest regeneration is the gradual replacement of pioneering or colonising species by the primary forest species. Likewise, with regard to wildlife, increased observations of prints 89
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