RAUTAHAT: The Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) program is becoming increasingly effective in community forests across Rautahat district.
On Tuesday, the Hatemalo Community Forest User Group of Chandrapur–4 and 6 organized an interaction program focusing on the implementation of an SFM action plan based on a forest conservation system.
Speaking at the event, Anil Mahato, Chief of the Chandrapur Sub-Division Forest Office, said that the SFM program has helped establish the Hatemalo Community Forest User Group as a model community forest in the country. He informed that of the community forest’s total area of 282 hectares, 274 hectares are productive forest land.
Mahato added that a forest conservation action plan has been developed with an 80-year crop cycle, dividing the forest into eight periodic blocks for effective protection and management. Each block covers approximately 34.5 hectares, and the SFM program has been implemented by further dividing each block into 10 sub-sections.
During the current fiscal year alone, out of 1,697 trees within 3.5 hectares of forest area, 272 trees have been retained as mother trees, while the remaining 1,325 trees have been recommended for regeneration and felling, according to forest officials.
Hemant Kumar Sah, Chief of the Division Forest Office, Rautahat, said the SFM program has been implemented in three community forests and one partnership forest in the district. He said the program is currently operational in Tileshwornath Community Forest User Group, Bhorleni Community Forest User Group, Hatemalo Community Forest User Group, and Rangpur Partnership Forest User Committee.
Bedahari Dahal, Chairperson of the Community Forest Users Federation, Rautahat, said the SFM program would be beneficial if implemented sincerely and responsibly.
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