 |
Kathmandu Thursday January 31, 2002 Magh 18, 2058.
|
Workshop on community forestry
guidelines
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 30 A two-day national workshop to
review the guidelines of community forestry began here today. The workshop is expected to
give a final touch to the draft report of the guidelines.
The Department of Forest, Community Forestry
Branch, has taken the initiative to review the guidelines which was operational for more
than one year to make them simpler and to avoid weaknesses through learnt experiences in
the field.
Besides, making the existing guidelines simple
for the common people and the users’ group, the review will make provisions for
inclusion of women and other backward section of the
society in community forest management.
Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal
Man Shrestha inaugurating the workshop Wednesday said that the community forest programme
has played an important role in preserving country’s environment, besides playing a
crucial role in poverty alleviation.
The programme has already covered more than
two-third of the country’s population.
Speaking on the occasion, Surendra Hamal, State
Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation (MFSC) said that the programme has raised the
living condition of the people living at grassroot levels, and preserved the
country’s land from erosion.
MFSC Secretary Chandi Prasad Shrestha was of the
opinion that the community forest is not a profession, only an additional means of earning
livelihood. "It should not be confined to the ownership of a certain community,"
Shrestha said.
Director at the Department of Forests (DoF)
Dibya Deo Bhatta said that the department has given more priority to management of forest
than handing over more and more forests to the user groups.
Chief of the Community Forest Programme Krishna
Bahadur Shrestha and Deputy Director at the DoF also spoke on the occasion.
At the same programme, Minister Shrestha awarded
six officials under the MFSC with Birendra Aishwarya Medal. The officials include Chandi
Prasad Shrestha, Dibya Deo Bhatta, Tirtha Man Maskey, Mana Prasad Wagle, Madhusudan Bista
and Sainju Man Amatya.
Other Stories
|
