CARE Nepal has been implementing the Forestry Partnership Project (FPP) as a part of the Environment and Forest Enterprise Activity (EFEA) Project, which addresses a number of interrelated economic, social and environmental problems in eight districts in Mid-Western Nepal, a region where 75% population lives below the poverty line.

The FPP seeks to increase local control over the management of natural resources in order to reduce environmental degradation and increase agricultural productivity. It also aims to increase community interactions with government staff, improve the quality of forest operation plans, and build confidence and trust between local communities and district government offices.

CARE Nepal has been providing technical assistance to the District Forest Offices, District Soil Conservation Offices and the Women's Development Offices in the project area to implement community forestry, private forestry and literacy programs.

The project supports the transfer of improved forest management technology, in terms of training for forest guards, rangers, nursery naikes and forest user group members; strengthens user groups and emphasises on women's participation in managing resources. Non-formal education to make women literate is a major EFEA intervention.

FPP is one of the only projects to support the government in implementing community program in Terai districts. As of April 2000 there were 316 Community Forest Users Groups (CFUGs) in 17 Terai districts of Nepal, of which the project has supported the formation of 121 CFUGs in three Terai districts.

The project has been able to demonstrate that the impact of Terai community forestry in reducing pressure and dependency on government managed natural forests and in increasing the community to and availability of fodder, fuel wood, grasses, timber and nom-timber forest products.

The project is now working on strengthening the linkages of CFUGs with local government: District Development Committees, Village Development Committees and municipalities, thus building on efforts in support of the Local Self-Governance Act which decentralizes authority and resources to these bodie