Bring an alternative to scientific forest management immediately: Forest experts

  • Published Date : March 23, 2021

Post the rejection of the Scientific Forest Management procedure by the government, experts have demanded that a new plan is needed for forest management immediately.

Experts participating in the Haka-Haki debate organized by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) on 10 March to discuss on forest management and challenges for timber supply said that an alternative management plan is needed.

Dinesh Raj Regmi, senior vice-president of the Federation of Forest Based Industry and Trade Nepal (FenFIT Nepal), has suggested to move ahead by resolving the complexities and problems of scientific forest management.

He said, “We should not create confusion by stopping the whole country just because there is a problem in one place.” With the abolition of this system, the question has arisen as to how to manage the timber. It is enough to supply 50 to 60 million cu ft. of timber. At present, there is about 110 million cu ft. of timber to be extracted from the forest, but timber worth NPR 18 billion is imported from abroad.

He demanded that the sale and distribution of timber cut during scientific forest management should be opened immediately.

Vice President of Nepal Foresters’ Association, Sri Prasad Baral, said that the government rejected the scientific forest management system without any basis. Baral was adamant that scientific forest management procedures should not have been rejected without an alternative.

Thakur Bhandari, Secretary of the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal, said that the consumers wish to manage timber in a simple and easy way. “There should be people’s participation in forest management,” he said.

Bhandari further clarified, “We are positive for the right of consumers to have easy access to timber by planning for sustainable forest management.”

Environmentalist Baburam Yadav said, “The story is that the so-called scientific forest management is deceiving the people and deceiving the leaders.”

Chief of the Forest Management Division, Devesh Mani Tripathi, expressed the government’s commitment to find an alternative to scientific forest management as soon as possible. “The government is doing its homework for this,” he said.

Forest expert Dr. Binod Bhatta said that the concerned bodies should give priority to tree planting for sustainable management of forests. “We have to carry out planned tree plantation for its effective management,” he said.

President of Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists, Kosmos Biswokarma, said that the concerned bodies should work together for the sustainable conservation of the forest. In addition to this, he informed that NEFEJ will hold such debate programs regularly.

The program was attended by forest experts, representatives from stakeholder organizations and media persons.