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Community Forest in need is Community Forest indeed


As usual Tshering Dorji of Bragong village in Minjay gewog under Lhuntse Dzongkhag was out working in his maize field with his family. His traditional house remained locked due to shortage of helping hand in the farm. He couldn’t spare anyone to be left behind to look after his house. Ofcourse, there was no need for anyone to stay back since it isn’t vulnerable for someone to sneak into his house due to remoteness. 

Just when they were preparing to leave for the lunch, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled. They trembled too not knowing what was going on. With big hullabaloo they rushed to the safety when they realized it was an earthquake. He breathed his lung out with respite when he realized all are safe after everything subsided. But not everyone or everything of his was safe, something of his fell victim to the turmoil. 

Shaken, they returned home but there was no home. His house has worn a different look than how he left this morning. The quake has hit hard his house; the roof gave way, the walls cracked and his house more of haunted him. He and his family couldn’t return home fearing it might come down to rubble. They resorted to spend the night with his neighbor. 

Now nothing bothered him, not his unfinished field work too. He built a temporary hut till such time he can restore his original house. With his shelter shaken, his immediate concern was restoring it for which he needs timbers and the money. The answer lied in the fact that he is the member of the Zhasela -Community Forest Management Group (CFMG). The executive members and CFMG facilitated by the Geog Forestry Extension acted to his plea.   

Believing that Community Forest (CF) should benefit the members in best possible way, the free timber was granted to the victim. The total of 4 Drashing sized trees of his choice of species and areas was allotted to Mr. Tshering Dorji. The timbers were given as a special consideration in addition to his quota already availed. All possible help permitted by the Management plan was rendered ensuring he reap the benefit of being the member of the forest user group. 

Mr. Sonam Norbu, the Chairman of the CF said, “Community Forest is all about helping the members in times of such need. No time is urgent when struck by natural disaster, so help has to be ready”.  “This is one such benefit which others may not have envisaged. So, we did everything to help him”, supplemented Pelden Dorji, Secretary of the CF.


The following is the detail of the free timber given to the victim:
SL. No
Location/Block
Tree Species
(Local name)
No. of trees
Timber category
Approx girth
Permit No
1
Gosungdrag
Ngangnashing
1
Drashing
5’
 
    60
2
Pelingthang
Ngangnashing
2
Drashing
5’8”
3
Gosungdrag
Charshing
1
Drashing
4’3”
Total
 
 
4
Drashing
 
 



The timbers were accounted under utilization as reflected in the CF product collection permit No. 60. No money receipt is issued since he was charged no royalty fee although it is very nominal. On top of that he was provided with Nu. 10,000 as soft loan from the Community Forest fund under the lending scheme. Without the Community Forest, it would have been taken quite a time to avail such service. “I am glad that I could enroll myself as member to such forest user group. Such immediate support rendered to my need gives me more reason to fully commit myself to the sustainability of the group”, lamented Tshering Dorji, the beneficiary of the support.
Community Forest in need is Community Forest indeed.

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