Communites take over forest management

A total of 152 households in Samtse will now take care of 582.11 acres of forest land with the dzongkhag administration handing over four community forest ownership certificates and 15 private forest certificates to the beneficiaries on November 15.

The move is expected to boost income generation for members of the community forest management group through sustainable management and use of resources. Two community forests are under Samtse gewog – Bukay-A Dham CF, and Rong-Queng CF of Lamitar, while another two are Sahakari CF, and Suraksia CF in Sa-ngachoeling gewog .

Samtse today has 33 approved CFs covering an area of 5,889.16 acres forest land with 1,308 households as beneficiaries. There are 44 approved PF registered owners that cover an area of 154.58 acres.

Along with the certificates, executives of the community forest management group were also given a set of approved management plan, hammers, and record keeping books to manage community forests.

Department of Forests and Park Services’ director Chencho Norbu said community forests enable communities to manage and use certain areas of the forest for timber, firewood and non-wood forest products. “It also ensures active participation of the community in the face of conservation and protection of nature,” he said.

Private forest owners can gainfully utilise fallow and unproductive private owned lands, he said urging all PF owners to not only see it as a commercial venture. The team also visited the bamboo model house, that was constructed by the dzongkhag forestry sector and Pakpey CFMG with support from PFMP.