Due to the lack of the Nepal government policy, the Community Forest users groups can not conduct forest-related enterprises. If the Nepal government did an easy in policy, the employment will create mass volume.
Before starting house construction works some four months ago, Man Bahadur Tharu was extremely worried about one thing: timber. Even as other construction materials were available in the market he was struggling to get timber.
Getting timber for housing construction was beyond his idea. But the pressing problem of Tharu, a local of Banganga in the district of Kapilvastu, was easily solved when he approached the Bageshwori community forest users’ group.
Shortly after he put forth his demand he got timber without any obstacles. "I was worried as my neighbors had to struggle a lot to get timber four years ago," Tharu said, adding, " But I easily got made doors and windows from the community forest users group for building house windows-door"
Aimed at providing timbers for locals, the Bageshwori community forest runs a sawmill for three years. The Community Forest Users group provides ready-made window-door, table, chairs, to its own members based on the demand.
“We have our own action plan and distribute readymade wood products for members,” Kallu Tharu, president of the community forest users group.
Out of 3,000 most users belong to ethnic Tharu and Madhesi communities.
Last year, the Bageshwori community forest users’ group had produced 420 cubic feet of wood from old-growth. "Based on their need, users approach us for timber," Tharu told, "We verify their demand before providing timber for them."
Kallu Tharu said that the Community Forest users' group can't provide wood own consumers based on demand. "We have a shortage of timber because the timber production is limited in our forest," he said "We would buy in another the Community Forest. But they have not produced timber in the last two years."
Before two years ago, the Nepal government had decided to band-produce saal timber all over the country and formulate a study committee.
The study committee had summited a report to the Nepal government. If the Nepal government did implementation a report has been summited by the committee, the timber would not be in shortage now.
But, the Nepal government did not I implementation that report.
Despite the government obstruction, the local communities have been doing continue forest conservation.
The Pargatisil community Forest has been preserved by the local people. It is located in Maya Devi Rural municipality, Kapilvastu district.
To know the history of the Pargatisil community forest should be back 35 years ago. According to the Khumraj Malla, a Local of the Mayadevi Bargadawa, the local people used to cultivate in this land, now, where is a forest area. "Till before 1990, there were the trees. But, during the revolution period of 1990, all trees got cut" he said, "after that, the locals plowed and cultivated."
Some locals did report in the district forest office in Tauwlihawa about the situation of the current condition of the forest and initiative conservation forest. And, it was planted at that area. "We have played a role to conservation forest in that area, if we did not play a role, it would be encroachment," Malla said, "
In starting time, it was difficult to get to know people importance of the forest, but they knew slowly forest's importance."
Until before 30 years ago opened ground, Now, in that area has developed a big forest and local communities have gotten benefited.
Ram Lakhan Yadav is a member of the Pragatishil community forest, Kapilvastu. He has raised five buffalo. The Pargatisil community forest is the main source of grass for Yadav.
He has to pay Rs, 50 to cut grass in the community forest for one session. After paying Rs 50, the community forest is allowed to cut grass till Kartik to Chait.
"I get grass from Community Forest till Kartik to Falgun," Yadav said, "we have gotten grass, firewood from community forest, it has helped in our livelihood."
Yadav sells 20-liter milk per day. His Seven-member family has survived by selling milk income.
According to Ghanakala Neupane, Secretary of the Pragatisheel Community Forest, 260 families are regular consumers of this community forest.
But, then many more people are getting Consumption forest products from that forest. "We are also providing service to consumers, who are not members in our community forest." Ghanakala said, " the people come in our forest to get firewood for cremating far from".
The Pragatisheel Community Forest covers 60 hectares of land. It is located in Mayadevi rural Municipality of kapilvastu district. It is the southernmost forest of the district.
According to the locals, the forest is providing service for people with firewood, grass, and greenery. Narkumari Malla, a resident of Mayadevi rural municipality-3 Bargadwa, said that the forest has given everything. "The firewood was scarce to us, the people would burn cattle dong," she said, "but now we get firewood from the community forest".
Ghanakala Neupane said that the community forest users group provides firewood to consumers at a discount rate based on demand. "Firstly, consumers demand with community forest users groups," Neupane said, "after that, we do inspections on the forest of dried trees and provide firewood."
Timber shortage
Before than starting preservation forests by communities, Nepal's forest degradation rate was high. According to the study, 23% of forests had loosed between 1976-1989.
When the Community Forest program was formally launched in Nepal the forest condition improved. The communities have been getting benefits from the forest. Although, due to some huddles, it has not forest sector forwarded as a successful enterprise in the community level.
If the Nepal government could address the problem of the community level in the National Standards for Sustainable Forest Management 2078. It will help the community to run forest-based enterprises.
If Community Forest users groups wanted to run a sawmill it is not easy for them. According to the Humnath Bhattarai, the Federation of Kapilvastu Community Forest users groups, Community forest users groups can't invest their own run to the sawmill. "We have to show partnership with the person. If did not that we don't get allowed."
The Community Forest users groups are facing another problem. They don't get allowed to establish any type of enterprises near the forest area. "We are conservation forest and we also love to the forest," Bhattarai said that "but the law is not community-friendly."
Sindhu Dhungana a joint secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Environment said that the problem of distance between forests and enterprises has been addressed forest Act-2076. "We are working in the National Standards for Sustainable Forest Management 2078. I think it, will be solving many problems," Dhungana said, "the problem of the sawmill establish, it is related with the ministry of the industry."
