What is Joint Forest Management?
India is one of the pioneering countries in the world where forest management regimes stressing on partnerships between the state forest departments and the local communities, generically known as Joint Forest Management (JFM) have been introduced. The driving force behind this path-breaking initiative is the National Forest Policy of 1988, which is one of the most progressive forest policies in the world. Conservation and meeting local community needs have been made the main objectives of forest management, and have been accorded much higher priority than revenue generation through commercial exploitation. Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a forest management strategy under which the Forest Department and the village community enter into an agreement to jointly protect and manage forest land adjoining villages and to share responsibilities and benefits. The village community is represented through an institution specifically formed for the purpose. This institution is known by differen
