Forest Management Partnerships: Regenerating India's Forests

Abstract

"Recent experiences in West Bengal, Haryana, Gujarat, Orissa, and Jammu and Kashmir have shown that when government forest staff collaborate meaningfully with the rural communities, management problems can be overcome in the interest of all. Instead of being progressively degraded through overgrazing and cutting, forest lands can begin to regenerate dramatically. As the trees recover; so too does overall forest productivity, generating fodder grasses, fuelwood and other forest products that are crucial in the socio-economic context of an agrarian society. This article presents experiences from West Bengal and Gujarat where foresters and forest administrators as well the non governmental organizations and researchers are exploring ways to bring the forest departments and local communities of India together in the management of public forest lands."