Organization Profile

Contact No (Office/ Helpline): 742015

Email: dfozhemgang@gmail.com

Brief History:

Zhemgang Forest Division was established on July 28, 2003. Prior to that Zhemgang Division was under the administrative control of Bumthang Forest Division. The Division head office is located within Zhemgang town

 

Location:

Zhemgang Forest Division is located in the south-central part of the Kingdom covering the jurisdiction of Zhemgang Dzongkhag encompassing a total geographical area of 1518.42 km excluding the areas covered by the three parks (i.e. Phrumshingla NP, RMNP and JSWNP), situated between 26°49'37.97" and 27°38'11.92" N and 90°15'52.89" and 91°11'4.92" E. The elevation ranges from 95 m to 4570 m above mean sea level.

 

 

Vision:

“Serving the people of Bhutan by protecting, conserving and managing its forests sustainably in harmony with the aspirations and needs of the people through scientific principles infused with integrity, honesty and equality”

 

Mission:

-Protection, conservation and management of forests to maintain 60 % of the country’s area under forest cover for all times to come.

-Delivering effective and efficient forestry services to the people unstintingly as per the forest Act and Rules.

 

-Ensuring that the implementation and enforcement of forestry rules, regulations and programs are in line with the plans and policies of the department.

 

Back ground:

Zhemgang Forest Division (ZFD), Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) covers an area of 1518.42 km2 covering seven geogs (blocks) under Zhemgang dzongkhag (districts). The ZFD shares boundary with Royal Manas National Park (RMNP) to the South, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (JSWNP) in the West and Phrumsengla National Park (PNP) in the North and Pemagatshel district in the East.  Biological corridor number 04 that connects Phrumsengla National Park and Royal Manas National Park falls within the administrative jurisdiction of the Division (Figure 1). With JSWNP and RMNP having highest tiger density amongst protected areas in the country, ZFD forms heart of the potential tiger landscape and offers greater scope of population dispersion to PNP and Pemagatshel Forest Division.

The division plays an important role in sustaining biodiversity at a greater landscape level due to its strategic location being the connectivity among the protected areas and biological corridors. Further, the division is found to host significant numbers of tigers outside the protected areas that might be tempting for poachers increase their poaching activities in the areas. 

Zhemgang Forest Division (ZFD) is very rich cultural and biological diversity. Tiger, Golden Langur and white-bellied heron are some of the important fauna species found in the division. The National Tiger Survey 2014-15 reported the presence of 17 tiger individuals in the division including Trongsa Dzongkhag that is now under the administrative jurisdiction of Bumthang Forest Division. Currently, ZFD expects about 8-10 individuals of tigers occurring in the areas. The national tiger report also indicated major signs and images captured are along the biological corridor No. 4. This biological corridor can be very vital for gene flow from source site (RMNP and JSWNP) to sink area (PNP) in the long run. In addition, ZFD is home to around 30 mammal species, 232 species of vascular plants and more than 200 bird species.

 

The following forest types are found within the Division:

 

• Tropical broad leaved forests.
• Subtropical broad leaved and Chir forests.
• Sub-temperate and temperate broad leaved and conifer forests.
• Conifer forests
• Alpine scrub and pastures

 

Zhemgang Division is rich in biodiversity and 94.17% (LCM 2016) of the land use type is covered by forest. The great variation in elevation range contributed to its biodiversity hub.

 

Detailed area land use statistics as generated from LULC 2016, MoAF are as under:

Majority of the forest type is covered by broad leaf with 89.93% and division has only 6.74% forest covered by mixed conifer.

Endangered fauna: Tiger, Red Panda, Wild Dog, Musk Deer, Golden Langur, Capped Langur, Asian Elephant

 

Endangered avifauna: Great Hornbill, Rufous Necked Hornbill, Chestnut partridge, Wards Tragopan, Beautiful Nuthatch,

 

Endangered flora: Sapria (holoparasitic flowering plant related to Rafflesia), Spathoglottis jetsuniae, numerous ferns and orchids.

 

Critically endangered avifauna: White-bellied Heron

 

Roles & Function:

-Participate in drawing policy, acts and rules of the forestry sector

-Prepare and implement Annual Work Plans as per the Five Year Plan programs with proper monitoring and progress reporting to the department.

-Act as focal office to inform and address all forestry development plans and issues arising out of it in local development forums such as DYT and GYT

-Prepare Operational Plans for Forest Management Units in collaboration with FRMD and implement the FMU management plans as per the plan prescription and code of forest management practices.

-To prepare and implement Management Plans for Forest areas outside FMU systems for sustainable management of the forest area of Gewog in order to meet the timber demands of the local people.

-Liaise with FPED, SFED, WCD, FRMD, NRED, WMD and FIMS for information and technical expertise in the implementation of any programs and activities as required and found necessary in the field.

-Issue forestry clearance for land allotment, road construction, transmission line alignment, lease of GRF land for quarry, etc…

-Backstopping of all forestry plans implemented by other agencies namely Dzongkhag forestry sector, Parks, RNRRC, NRDCL, Hydropower Projects, etc..  

-Act as platform for co-ordination and linkage for forestry plans and activities in the region.

-Monitor and regulate the proper utilization of forest resources through timely patrolling and cross checks.

-Ensure fair implementation of legal provisions of Act and Rules for forest offences.

-Management of biological corridors and critical watersheds.

-Implement land and soil conservation activities, anti-poaching, and resource allocation to the public.

-Implementation of human wildlife conflict strategy as relevant to the division.

-Any special task assigned by the department from time to time.

 

Ongoing Activities:

Some of the ongoing activities of the Division are as follows:

1. Operational Plan of Wangdigang FMU, Kikhar, Malaya & Goling Working Schemes to meet commercial timber, monitoring of plantation, collection of NWFPs, regeneration survey, cable line survey, etc
2. Operation Plan for Community Forests and NWFP groups for sustainable harvesting of forest produces and Non Wood Forest Produce
3. Operational Plan for management of forest areas outside FMUs (Local Forest Management Plan), to meet the demand of local people or non-members of CFs.
4. Management of Biological Corridor and timely monitoring of the movement of wild animals along Biological Corridor No.4 including Big cats such as Tiger.
5. Mitigation of Human Wildlife Conflict by adopting zero poaching strategy and SMART system

 

Organogram:

Challenges:

1. Infrastructure
2. Rugged terrain
3. Funding

 

Opportunities:

1. Eco-Tourism  potential
2. Rich biodiversity
3. Bird watching