COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT IN TRIBAL STATES OF INDIA

The 1990s decade brought about some revolutionary change in the community management and development as the people's participation becomes an important goal in managing natural resources efficiently, sustainably and equitably. The Government initiative in policy making and issuing resolutions were welcomed, which  made an impetus for the participatory process by the State Forest Departments, Civil Society Organizations, Research institutions and so on. Madhya Pradesh is well-known state for its natural forests ('Tiger' state) and indigenous peoples ('Tribal' state). The State Forest Department followed the National Guidelines and commenced their activities in 1991 forming the village institution in Harda, which was later transformed in to Joint Forest Management (JFM) model .In this state largest number of JFM committees have been formed on the basis of forest canopy and resource degradation. In their holistic attempts the protected area management has been part and parcel of the JFM programme. There are number of novelties in their planning and implementation. 

These are micro-planning, participatory silvi-cultural options, respecting people's knowledge, man-power planning , revolving fund,  equitable sharing, gender unification and so on. There were establishments of Eco-centres and Extension centres in number of places for awareness development, skill development  for livelihoods, capacity building in managing the village organization, attitudinal changes of forest officials and villagers, dissemination of information for progress and development. The M.P.Forestry Project is another land-mark for boosting the efforts for achieving the common property resources situation. The whole process of JFM programme has been thoroughly discussed in sequences in this book by an academician and a forest administrator