Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs)

Though ownership of forests is largely with the Government, with forest departments being the biggest custodian, there is an increasing involvement of communities in management of forests over the years. The JFM programme is emerging as the alternative management strategy in India.  It is estimated that around one lakh Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) formed under JFM are managing around 28% of the total forest area of the country, in collaboration with the state forest departments. However, 69% of the forest area continues to be managed by the government, predominantly by the forest departments