The Scientific Forest Management (SFM) has been piloted in Khorthali Community Forest in Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha district. In the first phase, 140 hectares of forestland will be kept under the SFM framework, said Narayan Thapa, chairman of the Khorthali Community Forest Consumer’s Committee. The forest is spread over an area of 178 hectares, mostly covered by Pine trees. According to the work plan, the users can cut up to 1,400 trees a year. 

The concerned authorities said they could improve depleting forest quality and productivity by adopting the SFM process. The users can prune mature trees, fell old ones and replace them with new saplings so that they can be involved in the whole process and contribute to the regeneration and sustainability of the forests.

Chief of the District Coordination Committee Dabal Pandey announced the launching of the SFM campaign in the district. “A 2,801 numbered tree of Khorthali Community Forest was cut down in accordance to the scientific process,” said Pandey. 

Villagers are pinning hopes that the SFM approach would enable them to reap economic, social and environmental benefits. The consumer’s committee has been conserving the forestland for a long time. New saplings will be planted in the area where the trees will be cut down, a consumer said, adding that the SFM will focus on sustainability, productivity and equity empowering consumers to manage forests scientifically.

District Forest Officer Govinda Dahal said the SFM campaign would be implemented across the district soon. “A majority of the trees in the forests are old. It has declined biodiversity and ecological importance. The forest resources need to be managed scientifically,” said DFO Dahal.