KATHMANDU: Minister for Forest and Environment Prem Bahadur Ale has stated that the Scientific Forest Management (SFM) would be scrapped and the forest resources would be optimized through the Sustainable Forest Management System.
At a press meet organized in his office here today, Minister Ale shared that the new forest management system would be put in place as the trees in various parts of the country were cut down erratically in the name of SFM.
According to the Minister, the meeting of the Council of Ministers convened on January 24 had decided to do away with the SFM on the recommendation of the Ministry of Forest and Environment.
Ale shared that the ban on the cutting of the timber, Saal tree, sales and purchase and import and export of these forest riches would be lifted after fulfilling certain procedure.
The government had decided to ban on all logging throughout the country through the Council of Ministers’ meeting on May 28, 2021 after the reports of cutting trees wantonly in the name of SFM began to do the rounds in the media.
SFM was implemented in Nepal in fiscal year2014/15.
Minister Ale further said that discussions were held on various agendas such as providing timbers to the Pashupati Aryaghat for free of cost, Prime Minister Herbal Medicines Processing Program, Garden in the Metropolis and Sub-Metropolis, establishing zoo in all seven provinces.
He added that the Ministry was mulling developing five big lakes as the model one, declaring wetlands at Badikedar, Saipal and Ramaroshan as a community-based conservation areas among others.
On a different note, the Minister assured that the trees would not be cut down until the budget for the Nijgadh International Airport in Bara district was allocated.
Furthermore, he clarified that not millions of trees could be cut down for the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport as reported in the media.
“Trees would only be cut in the areas where the runway and the very important physical infrastructures would be built,” he said.
He also ensured that his Ministry would not be a hindrance for the any development and conservation related works. RSS
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