Peace Corps Volunteers In NTFP Development

-Brian Becker

Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have been active in the promotion of the sustainable conservation of natural resources for over twenty years in Nepal. The American Peace Corps (PC) currently has about 15 PCVs posted in District Forest Offices (DFO), District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCO), National Parks and with Natural Resource Management (NRM) related NGOs in different parts of the country. This article highlights the NTFP related activities of some of the recent volunteers.

Bill LaBarre, a Community Forestry Volunteer posted in the Nuwakot DFO, assisted several Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) in Nuwakot District to establish NTFP plantations for income generation. During the 1999-2000-work season he facilitated an agreement between these CFUGs, DANIDA's NARMSAP and Dabur Nepal to obtain Pipla (Piper longum), and Lauth Salla (Taxus bacatta). With their own funds and a matching grant from NARMSAP, the CFUGs purchased 1,000 Pipla cuttings and 1,200 Lauth Salla seedlings for planting during that year's growing season. The CFUGs are now contracted as out-growers on the Dabur Nepal buy-back program. Beginning in the 2002 work-season the CFUGs will begin propagating their own cuttings from the original material.

In Eastern Nepal, Eric Steffens, Soil Conservation Volunteer in the Sankhuwasabha District Soil Conservation Office (DSCO), and Mike Spinelli, Soil Conservation Volunteer in the Terhathum DSCO organized Chiraito (Swertia chirayita) training. In conjunction with The Mountain Institute (TMI) they conducted the five-day training for about 45 farmers who came from Terhathum, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur and Ilam districts. The training, conducted from November 15th to 20th, 2000, was held in Basantapur, Terhathum and Pakribas, Dhankuta with a field visit to see established plantations in Chowki, Terhathum. The first three days allowed the participants opportunities to share their own experiences of cultivating Chiraito. The last two days were spent at Pakribas, where they met Pakhribas staff members and toured the nurseries. While the participants appreciated the work being conducted at Pakhribas, they felt that nurseries were not necessary for the cultivation of Chiraito. Participants with experience in Chiraito cultivation shared their technique: seed collection late in the fall is accomplished by laying plastic sheets around the plants at the time of harvest to catch the extremely small seeds. The seeds are cold stored through the winter and then soaked for 24 hours in cold water prior to broadcasting onto pre-burned fields in the spring. The seeds are mixed with sand, probably to facilitate handling, due to their extremely small size. After propagating for two years, the fields become well established, seeds being disbursed at the time of harvesting. One participant remarked that in his well-established field, his primary labor input now is transplanting to new fields, as the natural regeneration from harvest-time disbursed seeds is too dense. Another method employed in the area is to plaster the seeds directly onto terrace risers with gobar, a cow-dung mixture. The staff of TMI was compiling the experiences from this training into a manual that was to be available later in 2000.

Finally, Brian Becker, Community Forester in the Panchthar and Bajhang DFOs, worked extensively with hand made paper made from Lokta, Daphne bhoula. In Bajhang district, he worked with the field staff of ANSAB and the members of the Malika Hate-Kagaj Udyog; an ANSAB supported community-based enterprise. In the spring of 2000 he field-tested the regression equation developed in 1984 by Jeanrenauld for estimating Daphne biomass. His results suggest that the equation over-estimates the available biomass obtained by the traditional techniques employed by collectors in the far west by as much as two-thirds. This has important implication for the development of CF management plans that include Lokta as a managed species. Additionally, he assisted CFUG members to establish experimental Lokta nurseries in both Panchthar and Bajhang districts. Propagation from cuttings, particularly semi-hardwood cuttings obtained at the beginning of the monsoon had good survival and approximately two-third set root. However, the cuttings were very light sensitive and required good shade cover during the first year. Results from seed collection and direct seeding into polythene bags also promises a simple means of propagation as germination rates were high (77%). The main problem with both  of these methods is obtaining material, which must be collected at the beginning of monsoon, when environmental conditions are not particularly favorable. While propagation of Daphne is feasible and shows good promise for areas where it has been extirpated. Forests with existing stands of Daphne can be easily managed on a selective cutting and rotation system basis.(Interested parties should contact ANSAB for details.)

In November, 2000 PCVs participated in an NARMSAP sponsored NTFP experience sharing workshop. PCVs continue to find the NTFP sector an interesting and challenging place to work. PCVs will continue to promote the sustainable management and utilization of NTFPs and plans to bring in more volunteers to work in the NRM sector.