Plans afoot to announce Dhorpatan hunting reserve buffer zone

Preparations are on to declare the only hunting reserve of the country, Dhorpatan as a buffer zone.

The preparation to announce buffer zone is being made with the objective of taking the conservation of the reserve and community development together ahead with local people's participation, says the Office of the Reserve.

We aim to increase the participation of the local people in the conservation and management of the Reserve and for community development, Chief of the Reserve, Sher Singh Thagunna told state-owned news agency RSS.

Following the declaration of buffer zone fifty percent of the revenue collected from the reserve would return back to reserve, and thereby spent for the buffer zone. The hunting reserve has been collecting revenue worth 10 million rupees every year.

Some VDCs of Baglung, Myagdi and Rukum districts fall under the buffer zone.

Following endorsement of the proposal to declare the area as buffer zone, various programmes including community development, skills development, income generation and tourism development would be organised along with conservation of the reserve, added Thagunna. The proposal must be endorsed by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation.

The government has been declaring various conservation areas of the country as buffer zone in order to increase local people's support and participation in the conservation and management of national heritage, forest and wildlife. nepalnews.com