DHANGADI – Kailali community forest consumer groups have also started striving towards scientific forest management.
Two methods of scientific forest management have been adopted in the Terai and Chure region of Kailai district. According to Kailali District Forest Management Office, the Terai region has adopted protective forest promotion System and the Chure region has adopted selective forest promotion system as part of the scientific forest management techniques.
District forest officer (DFO) Nawaraj Kafle informed that Bhartal Sajhedhari Forest and 19 other community forests have prepared action plan for scientific forest management.
Similarly, the district-based stakeholder body of the Sajhedhari and community forests have been monitoring the implementation of scientific forest management. Forest officer Dhakal says the task of scientific forest management has been moving in an effective manner.
The action plan includes mapping of trees, classification of trees, cutting down of old trees, conservation of other trees and plant new trees to replace the old ones. The scientific forest management requires to maintain a cycle of replacing the old trees with new ones.
As part of the management, the trees would be cut down by separating different blocks, and plant new tree. Every tree has its life span. The quality of the timber also increases as the tree grows, and the quality of the timber starts deteriorating once the tree starts becoming older and ultimately becomes useless. Kafle says the scientific forest management helps in getting the maximum advantage.
The District Forest Office has set a target to produce 5,65,463 cubic feet timber every year, said Kafle.
Under secretary at Province 7 Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Keshav Parajuli, said the scientific forest management can directly create job opportunities for around 1,430 people, and 532,000 people can be employed daily wage earners for a year.
Around 3 billion annual income
Study has shown that around Rs 3 billion could be earned annually from Kailali forests. According to a study by Forestry expert Dr NP Yadav 34,10,000 cubic feet timber can be produced in Kailalli district and the timber can be sold to make the money.
It was possible to make money through scientific management of 125,000 hectares of forest area. Dr Yadav says around 205,939 hectares of forest can be managed properly to earn money.
According to Data of Kailali District Forest Office, 548 community forest have been registered at Kailali district. The number is likely to reach 555 as some of the forests are in the process of being registered, Forest Officer Bhim Dhakal said. The registered forest has covered 60,000 hectares of forest.
Dhakal, who is also information officer, there are 119,000 members of the community forest consumer groups. There are 764,000 users of the forests including community, Sajhedhari and national forests.
Of the total area, 205,931 hectares, which is 59.70 percent, is forest area.
Expert Yadav says the scientific management will increase the increase the income by two times and will also contribute in conservation of forest. The experts say the stakeholders should be alert about the problems in conserving the forests and cutting down the old trees due to lack of expert technicians.
Challenges in conservation
The district data shows that over 25500 hectares of forest area have been encroached by various people, freed-bonded laborers, landless squatters, flood affected and different organizations in Kailali.
Similarly, the increasing encroachment of the wildlife path connecting Dudhuwa National Park of India and various other forests within the country has been facing a threat of division.
Recently lawmakers under natural resources, economy and development committee of Province 7 monitored the community forests based in Chure region where the scientific forest management has been implemented. “The community forests at Chure area are open meadow, and it would only be possible to grow plants if the animals could be stopped from entering the area for grazing,” said lawmaker Birman Chaudary.
Assistant forest officer Dhakal says the scientific forest management does not mean only cutting down trees but also planting new trees and taking up conservation efforts.
