Association of Family Forestry Owners Nepal (Affon) has urged the government to come up with appropriate legal framework to promote private forestry for economic prosperity through forest conservation.

The association formed in 2015 to promote family-owned forestry concept, especially in fallow and barren land, organised its first general assembly meeting on Wednesday.

“We concluded the meeting putting forth five major points as recommendations for the government, including establishment of pilot scale private forestry in various districts, strengthen nationwide network of farmer forestry and promote enterprise-based forest conservation in long-run,” said Jog Raj Giri, the newly elected Affon chairman.

Though the Forest Act 1993 has mentioned about the private forestry and its promotion to improve the forest cover, there has not been adequate legal policies and programmes launched to encourage people towards private forestry. “One of the biggest challenges for the private forestry owner is the need of approval from the government to cut down the tree and use its benefits for livelihood empowerment. We have to face government’s action if we cut the trees grown in our own land,” said Giri.

Studies have identified the potential of family forestry in 3.6 million hectares of land, but at present only 2,600 hectares are registered under private forestry.

Affon currently has its network set up in 19 districts. It has decided to expand its network throughout the country and establish forest-based enterprises in each village to contribute in forest conservation as well as economic prosperity. Nepal’s community forestry management is hailed at the international level as the most successful forest management regime, contributing to effective forest conservation through the direct engagement of local communities. At present, more than 17,000 community forest users’ groups have been formed in 75 districts to increase the forest cover and at the same time enhance the socio-economic condition of the local communities.