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Published on November 22, 2007

Last week, an assembly committee endorsed the bill by 14 votes to 11.

The majority demanded the bill allow communities to continue living in forest areas if they had been there for at least 10 years.

The minority demanded the bill allow forest communities within conservation zones only if they existed before the conservation announcement, and communities had taken care of them for at least 10 years.

The minority wanted the bill to prohibit forest communities outside conservation zones.

Pitipong Puengboon na Ayutthaya, one of the committee's minority, yesterday urged the assembly to consider carefully and rationally the banning of human activity in conservation areas. It could be open to interpretation.

Committee majority member Tuanjai Deetes said communities near forest conservation areas should participate in their management. These communities had cared for forests for years, but had now been omitted from the decision-making process, he said.

Forestry Department community forest management director Cholathit Surasawadi said the issue had seen heated debate for 15 years.

Cholathit and National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department director-general Chalermsak Vanitsombat will now decide what areas are to be designated community forests.

Some 30 million rai of forest is involved. The department will prepare satellite images to decide community rights.

Chilathit will this week propose Forestry Department director-general Wichai Laemwilai establish a working committee to liase with provincial authorities and residents.

There are 107 national parks totalling 34 million rai, 57 wildlife sanctuaries totalling 22 million rai and 14 million rai in the process of being declared conservation land.

 Janjira Pongrai

 The Nation