Though large swathes of community forest land have been encroached upon in the name of landless people and other various reasons, some community forests in Banke, Dang and Bardiya districts are writing some successful conservation stories. 

Gijara Community Forest in Banke, Jyoti Community Forest in Dang and Nawa Durga Community Forest in Bardiya have become model forests. 

Assistant Forest Officer Ganesh Khadka of Banke District Forest Office (DFO) said Gijara Community Forest, which had earlier turned into a grazing land, has now started earning Rs1.1 million annually following efforts put by the locals to conserve it. 

Similarly, Jaya Durga Bhawani, Kanyeshowri, Binauna and Siddhababa Community Forests too have been conserved well in the district.  

“Out of 507 community forests in Banke, 104 forests have been protected by active participation of locals,” said Shovakar Sapkota, the district chairman of the Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal. 

Another Jyoti Community Forest at Gadhawa-8 in Dang district has also one of the best conservation examples. 

Seven years ago, locals had planted trees in the barren hill. Forest Guard Shiwadevi Thapa said the barren land has been converted into a dense forest now. 

Jibnarayan Chaudhary, chairman of the community forest, said it is also because of awareness among locals. 

Similarly, locals of Laxmana in Bardiya district also have made contribution to develop the barren land as a green forest. Nawa Durga Community Forest in Laxmana is another example of forest conservation. 

Ram Prasad Paudel of the community forest said forest has been dense after they planted Indian gooseberry, bamboo, saal and sisau another other trees. 

Assistant Forest Officer Kaushendra Sah of the Laxamana Range Post said people have planted different types of trees. Meanwhile, Assistant Forest Officer Bharat Thapa of Area Forest Office in Bardiya informed that around 350 hectare of forest land has been encroached.