Context: Recently, the Forest Department in Rajasthan’s Banswara district has utilised the funds available under the joint forest management’s entry point activities (EPA) for distributing free dry ration kits to over needy families around remote forest areas during the COVID-19 lockdown.
About Entry point activities (EPA)

• The EPA, which mainly envisages creation of the community assets, has ensured participation of local communities in the forestry programmes and generated faith among them for the Forest Department.
• The concept has been institutionalised in forest management after the formation of the Forest Development Agencies.
• The Forest Department has taken up sanitation, drinking water supply and construction of hand pumps and toilets in the villages as part of the EPA initiatives for motivating the tribal population in the district to join the efforts for sustainable development of forest resources.

About Joint Forest Management

• This concept was brought forward by the National Forest Policy of 1988.
• This mandates State governments to encourage participation of local people and collaboratively share responsibilities as well as the benefits accrued from forests.
• Under JFM, village communities are entrusted with the protection and management of nearby forests.
• The communities are required to organize forest protection committees, village forest committees, village forest conservation and development societies, etc.
• Each of these bodies has an executive committee that manages its day-to-day affairs.
• In return of their services to the forests, the communities get the benefit of using minor non-timber forest produce.
• As a result, the forest can be conserved in a sustainable manner.This scheme also stresses on providing market access to the local forest produce at all levels to ensure profits for the forest dwellers and local people.
• It aims to instill interest among them to safeguard forests and guide them in scientific lines.

Notable Examples

• The Gaddi and Gujjar tribes in the Himalayan states by practicing controlled grazing of cattle, prevent the widespread growth of wild grass, & thus contribute towards conservation of biodiversity.
• Bishnoi community of Rajasthan plays a very significant role in ecological conservation.
• Joint conservation effort with the nomadic tribe of Maldharis, living in vicinity of Gir National Park, has contributed to the improvement of lion population.