B,2DIVERSITY C21SERVA7,21 S86TAINAB/E L,VE/,HO2DS : S8CCESS ST2R,ES Biodiver sity Co nservati on & SustainaEle Livel ihoods: Su cc ess Sto ries Copyright © : Sacred Himalayan /andscape (SH/)//angtang 1ational 3arN Bu f f er Z on e S up p o rt Pro M ec t (/ 13B Z S3 )/ 2 0 10 :ritten By : Anil AdhiNari Engli sh Translation : Anil Adhik ari Emma Condon Concept By : Ashok Bani ya FeedbacN & Suggestion : Roshan Sherchan 1iNN i 0askey /a you t an d desi gn : Su Earn a Hu ma gai n 3rint By : S3 Printer/ Tel: 4252318 3uElished By : Sacred Himalayan /andscape (SH/)//angtang 1ational 3arN Buffer Zone Support 3roMect (/13BZ S3) Foreword The Langtang National ParN Buffer Zone Area Support ProMect (/13BZ S3) works to fulfill the Sacred Himalayan /andscape’s vision of preserving water resource, forest, pasture land, land and flo ra and fauna through integrated management, enhancing livelihood opportunities for local people, and the conservation of cultural diversity. The ProMect has Eeen carrying forest conservation and management, species conservation, livelihood and sustainable community development, education and capacity Euilding, and publicity activities since 2006. The three-year proMect of /13BZ S3 under Sacred Himalayan /andscape (SHL) has already Eeen completed. This EooN is an evaluation of the proMect that was independently carried out by a consultant. “Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods: Success Stories” portrays the project’s synchronization and partnership with like-minded institutions and individuals on issues of Eiodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. This booN shows diverse practices including the role of the Buffer Zone Committee in reducing fuelwood and the use of the practice of good governance Ey a community forest user group, the contriEution of 1epal Army to participatory conservation, role of community-based anti-poaching groups in controlling poaching, use of medicinal plants for impro ving livelihoo ds and an expansion of medicinal plant vegetation in the forest and the role of students and youth in conservation. Such initiatives, through this EooN, can Ee replicated among the concern staNeholders in order to achieve the conservation goal. This EooN has Eeen published in Eoth 1epali and English in order to make it accessiEle to Eoth national and international stakeholders. , would like to thank AshoN Baniya, 0anager of /1PBZ SP for his valuaEle idea and Anil Adhikari for writing this EooN. Dr. Ghana Shyam Gurung Conservation 3rogram Director ::) 1epal Acknowledgement /angtang National ParN was declared in 1976 with 1710 sT.Nm and also declared its Buffer Zone Area in 1995 with 420 sq.Nm. Since that time, W:F Nepal has been collaEorating with Department of National 3ark and Wildlife Conservation (D13:C) and providing assistance in implementing conservation and community development activities. The Langtang National ParN and Buffer Zone Support ProMect (/13BZ S3) was initiated under Sacred Himalayan /andscape (SH/) 3rogram in 2007 with the aim of conserving Eiodiversity, enhancing livelihood opportunities and sustaining diverse cultures and traditions through the integrated management of land, forest and water resources in the parN and Buffer Zone. W:F Nepal has been providing financial and technical assistance to /1PBZ SP in partnership with D13:C. 2EMectives of L13BZ S3 include; maintaining forest cover; improving haEitat Tuality and sustaining local livelihoods through community forestry, alternative energy and forest restoration, including natural regeneration and plantation; reducing the threat to Ney species, their haEitats and prey species through scientific research and monitoring; community Eased conservation, including anti-poaching, human wildlife conflict mitigation and conservation awareness; creating an enabling policy environment that supports the linkages Eetween sustainaEle livelihoods and landscape level conservation; Eringing livelihood Eenefits to local communities in focal sites, particularly poor and marginalized households; reducing the vulnerabilities of Eiodiversity, ecosystems and people to climate change impacts in 1epal and implementing adaptation strategies; conserving and managing freshwater resources to maintain their integrity/Eiodiversity and ecological process and functions, to Ering livelihood Eenefits to the communities and to increase conservation awareness among the local communities in /angtang 1ational 3ark and Buffer Zone, leading to positive attitudinal and behavioral changes that support conservation; and documenting Eest practices and lessons learned at the local, national and international level. Community Eased anti-poaching groups, school-based eco cluEs, Buffer Z one community forest user groups and local institutio ns formed with the help of L13BZ S3 have all been involved in significant worN on Eiodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods that have Eeen documented and published here as “Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable /ivelihoods: Success Stories.” This project strongly Eelieves that this Eook can Ee an important source of information for those involved in conservation and livelihood issue. Besides, we would like to extend our sincere appreciaton to 1arayan 3rasad DhaNal, former Director of Tiger Rhino Conservation 3roject/ 1T1C/81DP for his valuaEle feedEacN and suggestions. Furthermore, our thanNs go to Hira Gurung, Finance & Admin Officer and Social 0oEilizers Sarita Thapa 0agar and Saraswoti /amichhane of /1PBZ SP fo r providing assistance in pro ducing this boo k. /astly, we are also thankful to the concerned individuals and institutions who have been the parts of success stories. AshoN Baniya Fanindra Raj .harel 3roMect 0anager Chief Conservation 2Ificer SH///1PBZ SP /angtang 1ational 3arN Contents Conservation Partner /ACC2S 9 Snow Leopard Found by S/CC 12 1adanche Anti-3oaching Group 15 1au .unda Buffer Zone 8ser Committee toward reducing the Consumpti on o f Fue lw oo d 18 Surya Kunda B uffer Zone User Committee toward Forest Fire Control 21 Fragrant :intergreen 2il 3 rocessing at SyauEari Community Forest 24 Birman in 1ursery Enter prise 27 Good Governance Practi ces in Dhunge AmphepaNha B uffer Zone Community Forest 8ser Committee 30 Sadhuram, an Ins tructor of Chiraito Producti on 33 Chiraito 3roduction, means for Human-Wil dl ife C onflict Mi tigation 37 1epal Army in C onser vation of L angtang National 3arN 41 Game Scouts in For est , nventory 44 DDC Par tici pates in Conservation ,niti ative 48 .alika Eco Club in Environment Conservation 51 Annex Sacred Himalayan /andscape (SH/) 56 /angtang 1ational 3arN (/13) 57 /angtang Nati onal ParN and Buffer Zone Support Project (/13BZ S3) 58 Abbreviation AFA Agriculture Forest Academy BZ0C Buffer Zone Management Council DABZCF8C Dhunge Amphepakha Buffer Zone Community Forest 8ser Committee DoF Department of Forest ECCA Environment Conservatio n Camp /ACC2S /angtang Area Conservation Concern Society /13 /angtang 1ational 3ark /13BZ /angtang 1ational 3ark Buffer Zone /13BZ S3 /angtang 1ational 3ark & Buffer Zone Support 3roMect /C3G /oNil Chiraito 3roduction Group DDC Dairy Development Corporation 1GC3G 1orchumenki Gyalmo Chiraito 3roduction Group 1A3CG 1adanche Anti-Poaching Group 1.%=8C 1au .unda Buffer Zone 8ser Committee S.%=8C Surya .Xnda Buffer Zone 8ser Committee SBZCF8C SyauEari Buffer Zone Community Forest 8ser Committee S,B Shree ,ndraEox Battalion SH/ Sacred Himalayan /andscape S/CC /angtang Snow /eopard Conservation Commiittee 8 Conservation Partner LACCOS /ast year, there was a forest fire in part of the national parN. LACC2S carried out a local-level advocacy rally and distributed pamphlets alerting people to the presence of the forest fire. The memEers of /ACC2S feel that because of this advocacy work, there have Eeen no forest fires this year. /ACC2S memEer Sunil Ghale says, “:e were already carrying out environmental sanitation activities at the local level.” /13BZ S3 encouraged to initiate a specific organization worNing only in environment. ,n that case, LACCOS was formed in 2006. ,ntroduction :ith the support of /13BZ S3, LACC2S 1ame LangtangAre aConservationConcer n Society has carried out various activities in the FormationDate1ov Gosaikunda area. “,n the Eeginning, we AddressDhunche9DC were only focused on the pressure put :orNin gAre aDh unc heBr iddimTimure ThumanGolMugChilimeSyaphru R amche on the environment Ey pilgrims coming Bh orle a ndLangtang9DCofRasuwa for the Gosaikunda festival and altitude 0e mEers sickness issues,” says Chairperson 1umEersofGroups Contac t3erson SantoshGhaleChairman 3hone1umEe r l a p e 1 F : : / 3 S Z B 3 1 / 9 Santosh Ghale. "Because the pilgrims used walNing sticNs, small sal and fir trees were being destroyed during the festival.”, He further notes. ,n addition, during the festiv al people would cut down trees to make fires at night. But the National ParN Office never focused on this issue, and so the Red 3andas’ habitat was disturbed due to such activities. Sanitation was another proElem that was not add ressed Ey the National ParN. Because of these issues, /ACC2S developed a proposal and submitted to L13BZ SP. Santosh recalls that, “,n 2008, /13BZ SP granted 45,000 rupees which was used to moEilize volunteers, publish and distribute Erochures, create banners and promote LACC2S’ worN.” During the GosaiNunda festival, LACC2S cleaned up the area and stopped the selling of fir trees for walNing sticNs and instead initiated the use of reed. As LACC2S began to actively participate in env ironmental