Locals Reap The Benefit Of Community Forest.

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Few years back accepting of community forest wasn’t a welcomed move in many communities in Bhutan , but when they are able to reap the benefit today they are the once to rejoice it. This is a story of the community in Trongsa ,Bhutan who were seen observing their own community forest day yesterday. Thanks to the government initiative for allocating the part of forest to the communities.

Their own community forest day was observed at Yuedroongchhoeling recently after they earned over eight hundred thousand ngultrum. It as a joyous occasion for the thirty-two households of  Yuedroongchhoeling to gather and have a community lunch. With the smiles on their faces, after hard work for over four years, the farmers gathered go rejoice the day and thank the government. The community have now earned about a million ngultrum by selling trees goose berry locally known as amla, and other products like timber and many more.

The villagers at the gathering said if the government had not provided them with the forest, it would have vanished with out care. In the past the villagers said with out a proper responsibility every one wanted the biggest trees and other products. Rinzin wangchuk a Member of so called Yuling chhenzen community forest said

That he was really skeptical in 2012 thinking what it would never look like, now when they   have this beautiful forest to give to their younger generations, and more over out of five villages in langthil getwog  ,they  have earned a lot so this can be also an example for them.

Other farmers who are also the members said government with good intention have handed over this forest to us, now what ever products  they harvest all comes for the community, now people do take extra responsibility when it belongs to them, because they have come to know that we can pass the same to our younger generations,

They also say that the money earned from the forest will be well accounted and use for needy ones. The Chairman of the community forest says  In future whenever they have some community works they all are  going to invest there, they  will also help in the religious activities, which would benefit the mass,

At the start of the community forest in 2012 every one was reluctant to work. they said there was lot of work with out return ,But with in two year ,Bhutan Power Corporation and the department of roads contributed lot by cutting trees, and after that the members started to take more interest.

The Yungling  chhenzen community forest has over 200 acres of forest today which have brought more and more interest to the public.