Standard guidelines for timber marketing

The community forest management groups (CFMGs) in the country are generating substantial income through timber sales from their Community Forests (CFs). The absence of proper guidelines for timber-marketing however proves a deterrent for many to venture into the same field.

The CFMGs can now look forward to better-streamlined timber marketing with Social Forestry Division (SFD) under Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) in the process to develop or formulate timber marketing guidelines for the CFs.

CFMGs across the country are highly hesitant and skeptical of timber business in the absence of a definite marketing guideline for the timber commerce.

“The guideline will facilitate and guide the timber sales from CF,” said Karma Jigme Temphel of social forestry division. He said the development of specific guidelines will be done after comprehensive stakeholders meetings and workshops which will include the CFMG members.

The SFD official said that currently such timber marketing is reflected nowhere in the policies and rules.

The guideline currently is at the conceptual development stage and before implementation it will go through field tests.

The country currently faces an acute shortage of timber a gaping difference of 1.84mn cft between supply and demand.

A prominent reason for the shortage lay in the fact that majority of the community forests in Bhutan have harvested, way below the Annual Harvesting Limits (AHL). This is further substantiated in studies conducted in the past which mentions, community forest management groups harvest timber conservatively and at levels below the prescriptions in the CF management plan. The studies stated that the community forest management groups are very careful while they harvest forest products from the CFs.

All things considered, there is a need to standardize and encourage more CFs into timber sale which the studies mentioned as long overdue. This will have far reaching impacts not only in closing the timber-shortage gap but also on the poverty reduction which is predominantly a rural phenomenon.

A CF seminar on poverty held at Bumthang specified there is no such thing as standard timber marketing procedures at the national level and the procedure adopted by most of the CFs when it comes to timber marketing is based on trial and error.

It is deemed most vital the timber marketing guidelines be formulated so that the CFs are encouraged to indulge in timber marketing.

Tsirang hails first as independent CF manager

Tsirang hails first as independent CF manager

In sync with the government’s vision to have Community Forests managed independently in all aspects by members without government support, three Community Forests (CF) in Tsirang recently made the successful transition to manage and plan all on their own with minimal government support.

Community Forests Management group members of Dangraybu CF under Doonglagang Gewog, Chirphen CF under Mendrelgang gewog, Darjeling CF under Rangthangling gewog in Tsirang Dzongkhag not only personally contributed money for the CF activities but also took the lead to execute the activities.

The members contributed certain amounts to meet the expenditures incurred in management planning and ownership certificate handing-over which conventionally is sponsored by the government.

The section head of Social Forestry and Extension Division (SFED), KJ Temphel said this is the vision of the government in the long run.

“This is the ultimate way forward for CF programs in the Country,” he said.  “Through enabling plans and policies, the government is trying to encourage such model of CF management in the country.”

An official of the SFED said a time will come when the CF members have to pay the foresters for provision of technical backstopping and other services related to CF. This means that the CF programs in the country should slowly mature and function independently. The government currently provides most of the supports since the program is in its infant stage.

Tsirang Dzongkhag Forest Officer, Pema Tshewang said he was overwhelmed and encouraged when the CF members came forward with such the proposal. “We know this has to happen one day and someone should initiate and take the step forward,” he said.

On the flipside many CF Management groups in the country are still largely dependent on government support.

Community Forestry Programs in Bhutan is about handing over a chunk of Government Reserved Forests with sustainable management, utilization and ownership rights to a group of communities. The program aims to enable these beneficiaries to generate income through sale of excess timbers and other income sources and help reduce poverty which predominantly is a rural phenomenon.

The program is incepted with the belief that the forests and natural resources within the proximity of the community are best managed by themselves and benefits should also flow to the communities themselves. “When the communities are entrusted with the responsibilities and the power to protect, utilize and manage certain portion of forests, the overall health of the forests improves,” said an SFED official.   

SFED is putting up concerted efforts toward creation of enabling environments for CF establishment. They have developed a CF strategy in Bhutan which is being implemented, while the CF Action Plan is under finalization. The training of 45 foresters on CF management planning, sponsoring of study tour to 22 CFMG members to Nepal, provision of training package on record and book keeping, seminar on CF for poverty reduction, economic analysis and market chain of timber products within CFs have been carried out.

Already major positive impacts have been witnessed since the program started. For instance, there has been drastic reduction of illegal activities while the number of forest fire incidences has also dwindled significantly. Officials claim that such programs have also helped bring degraded land under plantation.

Tsirang Dzongkhag currently has 24 approved CFs with 10 more in the offing. While at the national level, at the end of March this year, there are 382 numbers of CFs which comprise 17,000 households (CFMG members) which is almost 34 percent of rural households.  These totals to one-sixth of all rural households while 43,000 hectares or 1.5%of the overall forests areas in Bhutan have been handed over as CF.

Government targets to establish minimum of 400 CFs and hand-over at least 4% of government reserved forest land as CFs by the end of 10th five year plan.

Man batters woman in an attempt to rape, Man sentenced to four years

By Tanden Zangmo | 29 June 2012

The Thimphu District court sentenced a man from Samtse to four years of imprisonment for aggravated battery and  criminal attempt to rape a 24 year-old married women.

On April 20 at around 10 pm the convict 26 year-old Passang Dorji Tamang eve-teased the victim and later attempted to rape her. He slapped her, pulled her hair, kicked and broke two teeth, the right upper lateral incisor and lower lateral incisor.

The convict molested the victim, touching her breast and private parts. The victim managed to escape when she bit the convict’s hand.

The case was reported to the police at night and the victim was taken to the hospital for medical examination which ruled that the convict attempted sexual penetration and had bruised her breasts and private parts.

The assailant was arrested after a week later and admitted to the crime.

In the course of the hearing, it has been established that the victim is a married woman and to meet the end of justice, the charge has been amended in accordance with section 187.3of the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code of Bhutan (CCPCB).

The convict appeared for the final hearing on June 28 in the Thimphu District Court.

The defendant Passang Dorji Tamang is also directed to pay Nu 50,000 as per section 38 and 42 as a compensation and ancillary and incidental expenses incurred on the account of the offence committed by the defendant.

The court further directed if the defendant defaults on the payment of compensation, the defendant shall be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned until the fine is either paid or recovered as per section 43 of the penal code.

The court after consideration of mitigating and aggravating factors, ordered the sentence of two years for criminal attempt to rape a married woman and two years for aggravated battery to run consecutively since the defendant posed grave risk to the victim’s life when he battered the victim and attempted to rape her.

The parties to the case can file an appeal within 10 days of passing the judgment.

The victim is still undergoing medical treatment.

Porous borders: a boon for goons, bane for the law

By Tanden Zangmo | 30 May 2012

To contain illegal trades in the northern and southern ends of the country is a most challenging task for Bhutanese law enforcement authorities. As a result, illegal trading of medicinal plants is up and on the rise.

Trans-boundary illegal collection of medicinal plants is rampant in Bhutan although enforcement officials are stationed at many strategic points. Illegal exploitation of resources by people from across the border according to the officials may compromise sustainability of Bhutan’s medicinal plants.

Such illegal collections are also often untraceable due to which authorities don’t have any concrete data on the quantity of the illegal exports.

Lyonpo (Dr.) Pema Gyamtsho said that Bhutan has always faced difficulties in legality, sustainability and traceability of medical plants in the country. “Due to porous borders both in north and south, much of it is traded not in very legal manner.” This Lyonpo said was because of the lucrative market it has in the international market.

In the north, it is mostly the Ophiocordyceps (Chinese caterpillar) which are being smuggled through the unguarded and unmanned part of the border while similarly in the south, Pipla, Star Anis (Illicium) and Fritillaria delavayi are few among many that are illegally ferried across the border.

This is also evident from the recent report of Revenue and Custom official seizing sacks of semi-dried Pipla from a driver of Indian origin.

Collectors from within the country also exert pressure on the resources sustainability.  “Poor collection is also happening rampantly,” said Lyonpo  (Dr.) Pema Gyamtsho. “The method of collection is very destructive that in many cases there is no regard for the revival and regeneration of the medicinal plant species.” This is happening both at the alpine areas in the north as well as sub-tropical zone in the south.

For instance, experts shared at the CITES regional workshop last Thursday, that it takes approximately, 5000 pieces of Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Chinese caterpillar) to make one kilogram. So, chances of getting over exploited if not managed properly cannot be overruled.

In particular to Chinese caterpillar, many mechanisms are in place to check over-exploitation both natural and man-made. The harsh and ruthless climatic condition in Cordyceps growing areas is a kind of a favorable condition for sustenance of the worms. Such inclement weather limits quantity of the worms collected. “The ‘bub’ grows within the thickets of the alpine bushes and it really takes experience to locate one. Hunting for 12 hours, many can gather only few pieces,” said an official.

Although officials said that it is difficult to put legal limitations, mechanisms such as restriction of collection time for only one month (From 15 May to 15 June) are imposed. During this period, enforcement officials sternly monitor the collection methods. The numbers of collectors are also kept at minimum through provision of limited collection permits from the forest and park services department.

Bhutan is home to more than 300 species of medicinal plants.

Wild driving claims numerous wild (lives)

Tanden Zangmo

A female adult Leopard cat (Felis Bengalensis) was killed on the spot when a speeding motorist crushed her on the expressway opposite to Samazingkha in Thimphu on June 21.  

The dead felid with major injury on its head and the jaws crushed was first spotted by Thimphu divisional forestry staff lying on the expressway when he went jogging early in the morning. He then immediately informed Forest Protection and Surveillance Unit (FPSU) of Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS). “When I reached the spot at 6 AM, the cat was already dead,” said Phub Tshering of FPSU.

Based on the wheel tracks of some big vehicle in the accident spot, officials believe that the animal might have been killed by a truck. With the leopard cat just about the size of a domestic cat, officials say that the trucker might have mistaken it for a common household cat. “Bhutanese have this superstition that a cat crossing your way will bring bad omen to commuter,” WCD’s Chief Forestry Officer, Sonam Wangchuk said together with Phub Tshering of FPSU. They believe that in order to avoid the cat crossing the way, the trucker might have killed it.

Forest Officials also added that if not for such intentional killing, it might have been carelessness on the part of man behind the wheel. “With better and wider asphalted road, speeding vehicles often run over the wildlife. This is the major threat in developed countries.” WCD CFO said. He agreed that it is increasingly becoming a trend in Bhutan too.      

It is likely that the cat got killed at night since it is a nocturnal wild animal was probably looking for a comfort zone. “The asphalt road remains much warmer when the temperature in the forests drops. So, the cat was perhaps lying on the warm tarred road.” Otherwise, they say the cat was looking for its prey which consists of small mammals, birds and poultry.     

As per the field guide to the mammals of Bhutan the leopard cat is described as having similarity with the household cat except that it has longer legs. It has spots and marks on the body similar to that of leopards and look like a miniature leopard but it had no rosettes on its coat and instead has soild black spots or patched.

The guide further describes that the cat is nocturnal but occasionally hunts during the daytime. The cat is found to be a solitary except during the mating season.

The normal size of the cat ranges from 35-60 cms while its tail measures 15-30 cms. The normal cat would weigh 3-7 kgs.

Like the common leopard, the leopard cat is one of the most adaptable cats. It occurs in the broad spectrum of habitats from tropical rain forest to temperate broadleaf and coniferous forest as well as shrubs and grasslands. They take shelter in hollows of trees.

The cat shows little aversion to presence of human and often lives close to human settlements. In Bhutan, the cat is found ranging from south till about 3,200 meters above sea level.

As per the guide book, the conservation threats of the cat globally are habitat fragmentation, poaching for its pelt and retaliatory killing by farmers. But in Bhutan, it does not face any major threat and enjoys a relatively undisturbed habitat.

The IUCN status as per the guide is lower risk.        

Meanwhile, a civet (Civettictis Civetta), rare species was also run over by the speeding vehicle on the national highway at Lumitsawa under Punakha dzongkhag on June 11.

According to Kezang Dawa, park Manager of Royal Botanical Park (RBP) Lamperi , this mammal is a nocturnal animal who prey on domestic hens and would have run over by the vehicle while it was wandering into the nearest village in search of food.

“This is a rare species and I have never encountered such animal before.” He said.

The Civet is a purely nocturnal generally solitary animal. Purely terrestrial it is poor at climbing and at digging, and it lives in vacant burrows left by other species. 

Civets are found in a wide range of habitats, but densely wooded areas and forests are preferred.  Civets are almost always found near a good source of water.

According to Park Manager, the civet was also run over on its jaw and which consequently has died after stern injury on its mouth.

Further, CFO of WCD also shared his experience from the Thrumshingla National Park in Bumthang. The east-west highway running through the heart of the park has claimed lives of wild animals in the past too. He reminisce incidences where small mammals and reptiles like Langurs and Snakes have succumbed to the reckless driving.  

The department officials are doing all they could to bring down such cases of wildlife being killed by vehicles. The precautionary messages imparted in the environmental education program are directed to creating public awareness on avoiding suck kills.

On the legislation front, the Forest and Nature Conservation Rules, 2006 is silent on such traffic part. While the affected can either kill or drive away wild animals causing crop depredation, it is restricted to only those not included in the Schedule I. Those listed in the Schedule I, which usually are those wild animals critically endangered and vulnerable to extinction are not permitted to kill at no cost. 

The dead specimen of both the dead wild animals have been surrendered to the Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) Thimphu who further handed over to Taxidermy centre at Taba where it will be mounted. The mounted specimen will be used for the educational purpose especially to those visiting the centre. 

“This is a big loss from the conservation point of view,” said Sonam Wangchuk. He urges all the people especially those behind the wheel to be little cautious and spare the lives of innocent wildlife.

Camera traps catch Snow Leopard and in Wangchuck Centennial Park

Tanden Zangmo

In a recent camera trapping of Snow Leopard by Wangchuck Centennial Park (WCP) under Department of Forests and Park Services from March 8 to June 4, 14 stations captured pictures of Snow Leopard from the total of 28 stations.

Park officials said the second phase of camera trapping was intended to determine the spatial distribution and individual identification of Snow Leopards within the Central Park Range premises.

The camera traps, besides the Snow leopard, captured other mammals like Asiatic Black Bear, Musk Deer, Blue Sheep, Tibetan Wolf, Mountain Weasel and Red Fox were also captured.

The team before setting up the camera traps first identified potential areas logically. “The experience from the previous camera trap helped us to understand the potential area.” The locations were then were mapped on toposheet.

A total of 56 cameras were set up for the purpose in 28 different stations inside the park areas. The team has mapped 4 Km_­­² areas placing camera in every vertices. The cameras were set up especially in selected trails that were frequented by animals. 

Besides mammalian species, the camera traps also captured numerous other avifauna wildlife species. Diverse birds such as Monal Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Tibetan Snow Cock, Yellow-billed Chough, Snow Partridge were also captured.

Officials said that such study will help the WCP management to determine the number of individual Snow Leopard within the study area. Besides, the team also collected Snow Leopard scats for DNA analysis to identify individual Snow Leopard and to understand the fecal composition of Snow Leopard in WCP.

Park officials said that presence of such healthy population of illusive snow leopard is a good sign of Bhutan in general and WCP in particular being the host for wide range of faunal species. They said that such findings from the study indicate good ecosystem.

According to Park Manager of WCP, D.S Rai, such technique would help identify the individual snow leopard and spatial distribution. “This has helped us to understand the pyre-based and a kind of movement they make.”

The WCP team has conducted same scheme last year by setting up few cameras around the park region and was able to understand few behaviors of the snow leopard and Tibetan wolf.

However the team this year was able to study the whole behavior of both snow leopard and Tibetan wolf. Through their study the blue sheep is the common pyre for both snow leopard and Tibetan wolf and the concern for the team was about Tibetan wolf which hunt in pack to defeat snow leopard which hunt in single.

“Earlier highlander used to rear sheep in high attitude but these days we can see no more which has led the Tibetan wolf to pyre on blue sheep.” D.s Rai said.

With the achievement for their study this year the team has identified the competition of pyre in blue sheep by the snow leopard and Tibetan wolf. They have also identified the domestic yaks as the other pyre for Tibetan wolf.

The field survey was technically supported by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) -Bhutan.

Confiscated Pipla finally surrendered to the Forest office

By Tanden Zangmo | 13 June 201

The two and half sacks of semi-dried Pipla, worth approximately Nu 37,500 confiscated on April 22 from an Indian driver was surrendered to the Department of forest in Samtse after months of storage with the customs office.

Any forestry products seized by any agencies are supposed to be handed-over to the forest department who will take course of actions as per Forest and Nature Conservation Rules.

Earlier the confiscated forest products ended up for storage with the customs officials since no two sides took actions, be it taking-over  or to auction it.

The product was surrendered to the department by the Regional Revenue and Customs Office (RRCO) after receiving directives from the headquarters when they were not sure how to go about with the confiscated product.

The Divisional Forest Officer Kaka Tshering had written a formal and official letter to the Regional Director for customs regarding such confiscations made in future by which such information sharing by the RRCO would help them penalize the defaulter as per FNCR, 2006.

The defaulter Anob Bansal, apprehended by the RRCO was released without penalties for his illegal act on the condition that he’ll come back with the people involved. But he did not turn up.

The RRCO officials said this is the first time they seized such smuggled forest products and it is a wakeup call for them to step-up vigilance to inspect the products that are exported out of the country.

“Not only Pipla, but other forest products could be smuggled out of the country,” Samtse DFO, Kaka Tshering said. He said that he would tap all sources to dig deeper into the smuggling business and unravel all possible links in the country.

According to him the confiscated product is still marketable though it lay idle in the RRCO stores for more than a month.

The confiscated Pipla will be auctioned providing fine preference to the Institute of Traditional Medicine and Services (ITMS) and to Bio-Bhutan with royalty and farm gate prices.

The Forest office in Samtse with the Road Safety and Transport Authority has started investigations to seize the van and the defaulters who had escaped.

According to the Sr. forestry officer Sonam Peldon of Social Forestry and Extension Division (SFED) of forest and park services department under the agriculture and forests ministry, the forest and park services  will liaise with Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority( BAFRA ) to impart training on how to determine the legality of the forests products being smuggled outside or brought into the country.

As of now the BAFRA officials do not have required knowledge to identify the forest products being smuggled.

The BAFRA officials who are currently placed and stationed in strategic locations are mainly involved in plant quarantine services. This would be an advantage to determine the legality of the plants, and other forest products.

Pipla is a non-wood forest product commonly used in Indian Ayurvedic System, as well as the Tibetan and Bhutanese medical tradition owing to its rich content of medicinal properties.

Such medical tradition recognizes the fruit of the plant as a powerful stimulant for the digestive and respiratory systems, and also as a rejuvenating agent, longevity enhancer and tonic for the immunity.

Growing as bushes to a height of 1-2 meter, Pipla is a perennial plant and has smooth dark greenish leaves. Only female plants are known to bear fruits which have commercial value. Pipla fruits  start ripening in the months of August or September.

In Bhutan, Pipla grows widely under the canopy of broadleaf forests or in open areas in Zhemgang and Pema Gatshel, and in other sub-tropical areas. Pipla is also known to thrive best in damp and moist soils with good shade.

It is normally the fruit of the plants which has commercial value. Today, at the fair market value, a kilogram of fruit fetches prices ranging from Rs. 165-200 in the Indian market.