(a) Describe the main provisions of 'Joint Forest Management'.

(i) In India joint forest management (JFM) programme furnishes a good example for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests.

(ii) The programme has been in formal existence since $\displaystyle 1988$ when the state of Odisha passed the first resolution for JFM.

(iii) JFM depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the forest department.

(iv) In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces and share in the timber harvested by ‘successful protection’.

(b) Describe any two characteristics of ‘protected forests’ in India.

(i) Almost one-third of the total forest area is protected forest in India by the forest department.

(ii) This forest land is protected from any further depletion.

(iii) Protected forests are also referred to as permanent forest estates maintained for the purpose of producing timber and other forest produce, and for protective reasons.

(iv) Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan have bulk of protected forests.