How local people can be used for successful forest management?

● The people who live in villages around the forests, take firewood from the trees.

● They usually lop the branches of the trees & pluck their leaves but don't cut down the whole trees.

● On the whole, people living near the forests usually use the resources of the forests in a way that much damage is not done to the environment.

● The people living near the forests had developed practices to ensure that the forest resources were used in a sustainable manner.

● There are many examples which suggest that the involvement of local communities is necessary for any conservation effort.

● The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan is one such example: Amrita Devi Bishnoi is still remembered with reverence for the way she fought for protecting the khejri trees in Khejrali village. She; along with 363 other people; sacrificed her life for the protection of khejri trees in 1731.

● The ‘Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award for Wildlife Conservation’ has been named in her honour.