R' K' Zutshi

1
Experience of Jharkhand Forest Department in
partnership with civil society

• R. K. Zutshi
• Executive Director
• Wasteland Development Board
• Jharkhand

2
History Pre 1947

• Dalhousies memorandum
• Charter of Indian Forests 1855
• Scientific management initiated 1859
• Brandis, Divisions in Bengal Presidency -1872-73
  
• Indian Forest Act 1865 / 78
• Constitution of RFs / PFs
• Persuade Maharajas, Landlords, to Reserve
• National Forest Policy 1894
• Scientific mgmt. / Sustained yield / village
  forests
• Forest agriculture safeguards
• Forest Settlement - rights

3

• Demarcation / Indian Forest Act -1927
• Working Plans
• Natural Resource Management Plans
• European Silvicultural Systems introduced
• Harvesting / Silvicultural Operations /
  Regeneration
• Forest Roads / Culverts / Rest Houses
• Personnel / Training / Institutions /
  Publications
• Afforestation- Malabar / Singhbhum / Terrai
• Ravines / Chos / Eroded Areas
• Forest Based Industries- Pulp / Joinery

4

• Great Indian Railways
• Sleepers / Stations / Housing / Wagons / Bogies
• Cantonments / Ordinance Ammunition
• Colonial Buildings / Bridges
• Educational Institutions / Housing Estates
• Industries
• Truck Bodies / Pulp / Distillates / Oils /
  flosses / Gums / Batteries / Boilers /
  Warehousing / Coal / Mining / Metallurgy /
  Smelting / Moulds / Joinery / Resin / Shellac /
  Soaps c

5

• Partnership with civil society.. ?
• Sound Basis for Forest Resource Management
• Recognition of local Rights
• Provision of Village Forests / Employment
• Reservations for future well being of the
  society
• Maximum Sustained yield / Revenues
• Protection of Catchments
• Afforestation /eroded areas / ravines
• Was all this not aimed at people / society, and
  did society not benefit from these developments ?

6
History ..Post 1947

• National Forest Policy 1952
• Balanced Land-use / Check Erosion / Regulate
  Grazing / Wood for Agriculture / Maximum
  Sustained yield / Revenues / Industries
• National / Production / Protection Forests
• Village Forests / Plantations
• Check Desertification /Erosion /
  Shifting Cultivation
• Nationalization of Private Forests
  Farm Forestry / Wildlife Protection
• 33 land under Forest Cover
• 60 Himalayas Deccan / 20 Plains

7
Major initiatives

• Nationalization of Private Forests
• Consolidation / Settlement / Demarcation / Plans
• Afforestation / Reforestation
• Fast Growing / Important / Fodder Fuel sps.
• Roadsides / Canal Banks / Stressed Sites
• Artificial Regeneration / Natural Regeneration
• Forest Roads / Buildings / Other Infrastructure
• National Parks / Sanctuaries
• Social Forestry / Extension Forestry
• Personnel HRD / Research / Publications

8
National Forest Policy -1988 - Objectives

• Preservation Restoration of Ecosystems
• Conserving Flora / Fauna - Biological Diversity
• Checking Erosion / Denudation / Desertification
• Conservation of Catchments
• Increasing Forest Tree Cover
• Meeting requirements of rural / tribal people
• Increasing Productivity of Forests
• Efficient Utilization
• Participation of People / Women
• Objectives a priority not revenue !

9
Bihar JFM Resolution 1991- Features

• Inspired by GOI resolution of June 1990
• Bihar JFM resolution - August 1990
• Provision for VFM P Committees
• Sharing of Benefits with Communities
• Applicable to Protected Forests
• 1300 VFMPCs, 4300 sq. kms of PFs ( 20 )
• Some VFMPCs successors to
• Bihar SF Project ( SIDA ) VFCs - 425

10
Implementation

• Priority to villages with degraded forests
• Forests close to habitations / town centers
• Wherever participation was voluntary
• RDF Schemes taken up
• Some motivated forestry staff
• Senior or Junior
• Too early to share benefits
• Right Holders - Poles / Small wood
• Grass / Leaves / Dead wood only available
• 30 each to FDF / VDF / VFCF ( 90 )
• 10 ownership Royalty

11
Lessons learnt

• Committee formation reached a plateau
• Existing ones seized to be active
• Micro plans neither written not implemented
• VFMP Committees had no legal status
• No link with Panchayat Raj Act, 1996
• No MOUs between the FD Committees
• Varying levels of commitment of personnel
• Exclusion of areas not degraded / women
• counterproductive !

12
Jharkhand JFM Resolution 2001

• Mid course correction -
• Management Rights for local governance
• JFM extended to entire forest area RF / PF
• Well defined status for community organizations
• Decentralization
• Forestry planning management
• Village level micro plans Development
• Forest Village development
• Sound footing Participatory Management
• Adherence to provisions of PESA Act 1996

13
Salient Features

• Extension of JFM beyond PFs RFs / PAs
• VFMPCs ( PFs ) , VEDCs ( RFs / PAs ) !
• Differ in terms of benefit sharing
• Adoption of existing VFMPCs informal COs
• Well defined legal status
• Registration under the IFA
• Agreements with FD
• Gender sensitive
• Women Gram Sabha members in GB
• 33 Executive Body / President or Vice
• 2 landless members in the Executive Body

14

• Guidelines for preparation of Micro Plans
• Formats for participatory formulation
• Integrated development of villages
• Sustainable forest management
• Mechanism for benefit sharing
• JFM evaluation cell
• Panchayat Raj JFM
• Ownership of NTFPs to Gram Sabhas
• Link between Gram Sabhas JFM committees
• JFM committees Executive to be elected by GS
• Ensure 100 benefit transfer for NTFPs

15

• Harvesting Marketing
• Regulated by Micro Plans
• Harvesting by committees themselves or with FD
• Marketing mechanisms open to review
• Diversion of forest land
• Opinion of the concerned committee a must
• Sharing of royalty for land and crop
• Intervention by Forest Department
• Role redefined- more as a facilitator and adviser
• Regulatory role reduced
• Transparency
• Investments external or internal by committee

16
THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK

• Amendments to-
• Indian Forest Act, 1927
• Panchayat Raj Act Provide for JFMPCs, VEDCs
• Forest Produce ( Regulation of Trade ) Act, 1984
• Non-timber Forest Products ( Endowment
  Ownership to Gram Sabha ) Act
• To be enacted

All of the Above are under the consideration of
the Government
17
Follow up of the JFM Resolution

• 6828 VFMPCs VEDCS ( 2003 ) out of 13965
• Half the forest area covered 14232 sq. kms.
• Committees registered with DFOs ( - legislation )
  
• Effectiveness of committees reinforced by
• Involvement in all Plan developmental schemes
• RDF, QGS, FFP, NTFP, Medicinal Plants
• GOI Forest Development Agency projects
• Assisted NR, Artificial Regeneration
• Involvement in non-plan schemes
• Regeneration, Fire protection, Boundary, Forest
  roads, Buildings, Soil Conservation

18
Framework reinforced by

• MODIFICATION OF ALL PLAN SCHEMES
• Entry point activities
• Micro-lift irrigation, Potable water ( Wells/
  Borings ) Tanks, Bunds Platforms, Community
  buildings, Water retention structures ( Check
  Dams ), Village Roads, Culverts Causeways,
  Fruit Trees, Pattal unit
• FDA Micro plans-
• implementation by committees
• Natural Artificial Regeneration with EPAs
• 18 projects
• 26600 ha. - 3871 lakhs project period )
• 10 being processed ( 42000 ha. )

19
Jharkhand Community Forestry Project ( World
Bank )

• Community Forestry through
• VFMPCs VEDCs
• Participatory Forest Management
• Assisted Natural Artificial Regeneration
• Rehabilitation of degraded forests
• Poverty alleviation and better livelihood
• Empowerment of the rural community
• Enhancement of skills

20
Jharkhand Community Forestry Project ( World
Bank )

• In-principle approval of Jharkhand Government has
  been obtained
• Launch Workshop
• 3rd. February 2004

21
Gramin Vikas Trust - Forest department

• Rain-fed areas of Jharkhand - Stakeholder
• Experience in
• Participatory Approach
• Participatory Rural Appraisals
• Analysis of Social Structure
• Group formation Planning
• Participatory Monitoring Evaluation
• Training in sustainable livelihood activities
• Gender sensitive developmental framework

22
GVT can help

• Group formation
• Training curricula
• Training in rural appraisals
• Training for writing micro-plans
• Training in skills
• Processing , Packaging, Marketing
• Transportation
• Social analysis
• Sustainable livelihood activities
• Gender sensitive developmental framework