Moshi Community Forest Certificate Award Day

As a part of the community-based natural resource management, RSPN has supported community forests in Moshi under Lumang Geog (block), Wamrong, Trashigang. On 15 September, 2009, the Trashigang Dzongkhag, Wamrong Dungkhag, Lumang Geog and RSPN Field Office in Womrong jointly organized the Certificate Award event for the community forest in Moshi. The Trashigang Dasho Dzongda was invited as the chief guest to honor the certificate to the members of the Kosphu Phendey Community Forest.  Along with the Dzongkhag and Dungkhag officials, about 250 people from the villages of Moshi, Kosphu, Wagkhar and Tshogonpa/Khaimanma attended the event.

The community forest covering 578 acres would benefit 96 households from 12 villages in the geog. With the establishment of  community forest in Kosphu, there are now 14 Community Forests in Trashigang alone.

The Lumang Gup said that 128 households from four of its villages have abandoned their homes for resettlement elsewhere in the country. "They had to move as the landslides threatened their livestock, farms, and their own lives." Now Lumang geog hopes to stop this trend by reforesting the landslide prone areas of Moshi and Tshogonpa by establishing a community forest that will be owned and looked after by the people of Moshi. "It is very important for the people living within the landslide prone areas," said the Lumang gup, Jangchub Wangdi. "The villagers would now strive towards promoting and protecting the forest and their villages".

The 578 acres Kosphu Phendey Community Forest covers the landslide prone areas of Moshi and certain parts of Tshogonpa and has 96 households as CF members at the initial stage. "The community forest has plans for afforestation and the members will plant trees in the vacant and necessary areas," said Dzongkhag Forest Officer, Dendup TsheringAimed at alleviating poverty and increasing ownership of the villagers towards the natural resources, the Kosphu Phendey community forest, if all goes as planned, will save farms and homes of many villages in Lumang geog. According to Dzongkhag forestry officials, formation of community forests begets better ownership and management by the local people.

Similarly RSPN has also supported community forest in Passangphu under Kagnpara gewog. Management Plan development and the certificate award for the CF will be initiated in the coming months. RSPN will also support the Wagkhar Community Forest under Moshi Tshowog of Lumang Geog. Community consultation and CF area identification has been completed, and it is waiting approval from the Trashigang Divisional Forest Office.