Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
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<strong>Two</strong> <strong>decades</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>: <strong>What</strong> <strong>have</strong> <strong>we</strong> <strong>learned</strong>?<br />
8. SUSTAINABLE TREE AND<br />
FOREST MANAGEMENT<br />
“NSCFP has done a commendable job <strong>in</strong> forest management. It is the source <strong>of</strong> greenery <strong>in</strong><br />
our otherwise denuded and degraded forests through plantations, and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> nurseries,<br />
forest development and management.”<br />
Krishna Bahadur Karki, Chairperson, Thangsa Deurali CFUG, Dolakha<br />
“Still far more need to be done to promote the practice <strong>of</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able management <strong>of</strong> forest<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to their types and on tree harvest<strong>in</strong>g procedure <strong>in</strong> Community Forestry.”<br />
Gopal Kumar Shrestha, DG, Department <strong>of</strong> Forests<br />
Restor<strong>in</strong>g tree cover to degraded slopes was an early project objective, as<br />
described by the CFUG chairperson above, and is <strong>we</strong>ll illustrated by photographic<br />
comparisons bet<strong>we</strong>en the early 1990s and today (Pokharel and Mahat, 2010).<br />
Indeed, afforestation had already been supported under the earlier SDC-funded<br />
IHDP <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>dhu Palanchowk and Dolakha districts. Attempts <strong>we</strong>re also made to<br />
encourage private tree cultivation through the provision <strong>of</strong> plant<strong>in</strong>g material, although<br />
it was later found that farmers <strong>of</strong>ten cultivate trees spontaneously when necessary<br />
(fi nd<strong>in</strong>g their own seedl<strong>in</strong>gs), if they <strong>have</strong> the land to do so (Carter, 1992).<br />
In keep<strong>in</strong>g with other <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> programmes <strong>in</strong> the country, attention<br />
shifted <strong>in</strong> the mid 1990s from tree plant<strong>in</strong>g to susta<strong>in</strong>able forest management.<br />
A particular silvicultural challenge at the time was how to convert areas planted<br />
with monoculture p<strong>in</strong>e (usually the fast-grow<strong>in</strong>g exotic P<strong>in</strong>us caribaea) to mixed<br />
broadleaved forest that would more readily serve fodder and fuelwood needs.<br />
Whilst NSCFP worked on this issue, the project was particularly <strong>in</strong>novative <strong>in</strong><br />
develop<strong>in</strong>g “user-friendly” methods for susta<strong>in</strong>able, productive forest management.<br />
Many members <strong>of</strong> Forest Department staff at the time <strong>we</strong>re concerned that<br />
hand<strong>in</strong>g over forests to communities would result <strong>in</strong> over-harvest<strong>in</strong>g (especially <strong>of</strong><br />
timber), so determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g susta<strong>in</strong>able harvest<strong>in</strong>g levels was important both for them<br />
and for CFUGs. In fact, the tendency <strong>of</strong> most CFUGs <strong>in</strong> the early years <strong>of</strong> their<br />
formation was to ban all harvest<strong>in</strong>g (<strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g fuelwood and fodder) <strong>in</strong> order<br />
to conserve the forest. Unlike richer members who generally <strong>have</strong> some private<br />
resources, the poorest generally <strong>have</strong> no alternative source <strong>of</strong> tree products. Thus<br />
when promot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>community</strong> forest management, it was a priority to determ<strong>in</strong>e how<br />
forests could be managed for multiple products on a susta<strong>in</strong>able basis.<br />
“NSCFP’s concept <strong>of</strong> forest management has been very effective. CFUGs which had conventional<br />
views that trees should not be felled to conserve forests <strong>have</strong> now been actively<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the timely management <strong>of</strong> forests.”<br />
Prakash Raj Bhandari, Chairperson, Ram Bazar CFUG,Okhaldhunga<br />
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