Joint
Forest Management Resolution
NAGALAND
No. FOR-153/80 (VOL.II) Kohima, dated the 5th
March ’97
In conformity with the national forest policy of involving the
people in the management, development, protection and sharing of forest produce jointly
with the state government and also taking into account the land-holding pattern in
Nagaland where execution of any developmental activity is virtually impossible without the
prior consent and active cooperation of the landowners concerned, the governor of Nagaland
is pleased to notify the detailed modalities for implementation of the joint forest
management programme as below:
Joint Forest Management
Whereas 85.3 percent of forests in Nagaland are owned by
villagers and the government having no control over the felling of the trees in these
area; and whereas the government is aware of the consequences of uncontrolled trees
felling and shifting leading to serious ecological problems.
Whereas the forest department aims at taking up afforestation
programme for regeneration of degraded forests with the objectives of converting such
areas into "Productive forests" and whereas the active participation of the
landowners is needed for successful implementation of the programme thereby establishing a
"Resource based Economy". For the villagers.
Now, wherefore in order to achieve the objectives of the
afforestation programme in consonance with the National Forest Policy, the government has
accepted the joint forest management with the landowners where government shall bear the
financial burden of creation and technical management with the active participation of the
land owing communities who shall also be fully responsible for the protection of the
plantation so created and the government shall collect the royalty value at the current
rate as its share of the system. The beneficiaries as member of the participating
community are entitled to the share of the usufruct only on satisfactory observance of the
conditions laid down in the JFM resolution and the MoU.
Objectives of the JFM
To elicit the participation of the villagers in (a) creation (b)
management and (c) protection of the plantations;
To achieve ecological needs consonant with sustainable
productive forestry; and
To create a wood based economy for the people.
Areas to be covered
Non-government lands that can be put into use for forestry;
Non-govt. virgin forests; and
Any other land for the state which may be managed under JFM.
Constitution of working group
A working group will be constituted at the state level at Kohima
under the chairmanship of the commissioner and secretary, forest for implementation of the
scheme as hereunder;
1. Commissioner and secretary forest Chairman
2. Home commissioner or his official representative Member
3. Principal chief conservator of forest secretary Member
4. Chief conservator of forest addi. Member
5. Conservator of forest (Southern & Northern circle) Member
6. 2 (two) deputy conservators of forests Member
The working group shall decided on the administrative and
financial procedure for implementation of the scheme and from time to time review the
activities of the community forest committee (CFC) at the district level.
Constitution of village level community forest committee (CFC)
In order to implement scheme(s) under the JFM, village level
forest committee called "community forest committee" shall be constituted by
government officials concerned and representatives of the members of the land owing
community whose appointment/nomination shall be made with the consent of the village
council concerned. The constitution of the CFC shall be as follows:
Non Government land:
Chairman (Official) DFO or range or beat officer having
jurisdiction over the area
Secretary (Non official) From the land owing community
Members (officials SDO (Civil) or EAC to be appointed as
official
& non official) member by the DC having jurisdiction.
2 (two) non-official members to be nominated by the form the
land owing community, and
1 (one) forester / forest guard as official member to be
appointed by the chairman
The chairman as the representative of the department shall have
voting have power on financial and technical matters for a given project
B. Govt. land
Chairman (official) DFO or concerned range / beat officer
Secretary (Official) A forest official appointed by the chairman
Member (official) SDO © EAC to be appointed as official
non official) members by the DC having jurisdiction over the
area and;
3 (three) non official members to be nominated by the concerned
village authorities from the participating community.
Terms of office
Non official members from the participating community shall be
in office for a term of 5 (five) years, and
Official members shall be as per designation/appointment made to
that effect.
Membership fee
There shall be an membership fee of Rs. 20.00 (rupees twenty)
only payable by the members of the participating community.
Termination of Membership and Termination of Committee
On the recommendation of the management committee, the DFO may
terminate the membership of any member. If DFO is satisfied that the CFC is not working
satisfactorily, the DFO in consultation with the village council may dissolve and
reconstitute the CFC in a manner prescribed in foregoing clauses. In case the management
committee is unable to act or there is a tie, then the decision of the concerned DFO shall
be final in all such matter.
Meeting
The general body, comprising the total participating community
plus all concerned official/non officials who are members shall meet once in six months
and the management committee shall meet once in every quarter of a year. The quorum for
the management committee meetings shall be 75%. In absence of quorum for two successive
meeting, the quorum shall be deemed to have been formed with whatever members are present.
The minutes of the meeting shall be recorded and circulated amongst all members.
Account keeping
The management committee may open a bank account of the
committee for deposit of funds collected as membership fee to be jointly operated by the
chairman and secretary. Funds sanctioned for the micro project areas from the forest
department shall however continue to flow from the normal forest department shall however
continue to flow from the normal forest department’s budget and as per the normal
govt. accounting procedures and systems.
Procedure for site selection
Non-govt. land : The land owning community shall, with
recommendation of the concerned village council, apply for the JFM scheme(s) through the
DFO and the DFO shall send the recommended cases to the CF who shall finalise the
selection of JFM project sites.
Govt. land : All JFM proposals shall be taken only after prior
approval of PCCF/ Govt.
Criteria for selection of site
The sites with the following conditions shall be preferred to
others;
The area must be at least 30 ha. (compact)
Preferably above national high ways, followed by state high ways
then village roads, and any other truckable road.
Community lands to be given priority over individuals.
Duties and responsibilities of the CFC
To ensure the fulfillment of the objectives of JFM.
To keep the activities of the CFC in records
To ensure protection of the JFM forests
Maintenance of Plantation Journal
The range/beat officer shall maintain a plantation journal under
the supervision and control of concerned DFO which will follow the format of the forest
department.
Training
Training shall be imparted to low and middle level forest
officers, village communities and NGOs from time to time as and whenever necessary.
Management plan for the selected area
A working scheme (hereinafter called joint forest management
plan) will be prepared by the DFO and the range officers of the respective ranges after
carrying out a micro planning exercise which shall finally be approved by concerned CF.
And the selected site will be worked in accordance with this management plan. Such working
scheme will remain operative for a period of 5 years and revised after that.
Benefit/usufruct sharing
On Non Govt. Land;
The forest department shall be funding agency and shall realise
royalty from the harvest at the rate current at that time. The land owner shall not
utilise such areas for any other purpose than forestry.
On Govt. land;
The forest department shall be the funding agency for all the
forestry works and shall have 80% of the produce of the forest and the remaining 20% shall
be given to the participating community. Extraction of NTFPs will be regulated as per
forest act and rules in force. The area covered under JFM shall under no circumstances be
allowed for quarrying or any other activities which goes against the interest of the Joint
Forest Management.
Terms of Agreement
Detailed terms of agreement/Mou ( as per proforma annexed) shall
be approved by the law department.
In event of participating community causing damage to the
plantation deliberately or restoring to activities which go against the interest, spirit
and objectives of the JFM, funding by the department shall be discontinued forthwith
besides other appropriate legal actions.
In case of government land the matter shall be dealt with as per
relevant sections of Nagaland Forest Act 1968 and other legal provisions in force besides
forfeiture of any claims of usufruct share.
Memorandum of Understanding
We the members of ……….. do hereby undertake to
perform the duties and the functions as detailed in the resolution
no……………. dated ……… of forest department, govt. of
Nagaland for protection and management of the forest plantation(s) assigned to this
committee as per the schedule given hereunder:
Schedule :
Name of CFC
District / division
Forest range / beat
Police station
Status of the land
Area in ha.
Boundary : North East South West
We further undertake that the usufruct sharing as detailed in
the aforesaid resolution dated ………………. Shall be allowed only
on satisfactory observance of the duties and functions by this committee and the members
of the participating community as per the aforesaid resolution.
A copy of the aforesaid resolution is annexed herewith duly
signed by us on every page in proof / evidence of our having read / understood the same in
letter and spirit.
Signature of the CFC
Signature of witness
Name and designation of the local forest officer
Signature
