The House panel listed positive effects of proper forest management

Biratnagar, August 3

The implementation of scientific forest management programme has led to improvement in the status of forests in eastern Nepal.

Increase in revenue collection, replacement of timber import, gradual increase of new plants, increased coverage of green forest, creation of clean environment and growth in forest products are said to be the outcomes of scientific forest management efforts.

Moreover, forest management approach has made users more sensitive towards the conservation and promotion of forest.

The Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee, House of Representatives, recently spent three days monitoring community and leasehold forests in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts. During the field inspection, participants said effective implementation of scientific forest management approach in Morang had led to improved status of forests.

Taking part in an interaction at Pathari, Morang, after the three-day monitoring started on July 31, committee members said the results of scientific management forest practice in Province 1 were satisfactory.

Committee President Purna Kumari Subedi said the implementation of scientific forest management programme in eastern Nepal was found to be good, underlining the need to re-vise the Scientific Forest Management Guidelines-2014 in accordance with the constitution and new federal set-up.

Committee member Ghanashyam Khatiwada said people’s suggestions were being taken at the local level for effectiveness of the programme. The guidelines required the presence of mother trees at an appropriate number in the areas where the programme had been implemented. He stressed the need of further reproduction of plants and conservation.

On the occasion, Division Forest Office Chief Bishal Ghimire gave his presentation on the condition of scientific forest in the district.

Participants in the interaction, including Janasewa Community Forest User Group Committee Chair Dilaram Rai, Hariyali Community User Group Committee’s treasury member Keshav Dahal, Shanti Community Forest’s Secretary Menuka Rai, among others, univocally spoke of the need to pay attention to make scientific forest management more effective.

The Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal’s Province 1 Coordinator Tulasi Sangraula and FECO- FUN’s Morang chapter

Chair Ramkrishna Rai, among others, argued that by cutting down the existing trees alone, no forest could be scientifically managed.

Likewise, Province 1 Assembly’s Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Committee President Sita Thebe shared the Province Forest Act-2019 was issued and vowed to implement the programmes that would help address the issues surrounding forest user groups’. Pathari Sanischare Municipality Mayor Dilip Rai and Letang Municipality Mayor Shankar Rai observed the living standard of locals could be uplifted by increasing forest produce.

A parliamentary panel has also been formed to probe cases of alleged irregularities in scientific forest management in Sudurpaschim Province.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 4, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.