Management of Mae Tan Creek Community Forest, Baan Tan Subdistrict, Hot District, Chiangmai Province

Abstract

          The research aimed to study: 1) the condition of Mae Tan Creek community forest management; 2) the process of creating participation in Mae Tan Creek community forest management; and 3) to suggest guidelines for Mae Tan Creek community forest management by participation. The research employs qualitative. Data was collected by in-depth interviews with 40 people who are community leaders, village philosophers, executives of government agencies related to natural resources and the environment, and executives of local government organizations.
          The research results found that: 1) the condition of Mae Tan Creek community forest management was abundant; there were more animals living in the forest than the old and the watershed forest has water flowing into the creek all year round from the establishment of a community forest conservation group in the Baan Tan area. 2) Community leaders have a process of creating engagement with people in the community by raising awareness, promoting learning, and helping forests maintain integrity by contacting government agencies for support and participation in surveillance and monitoring forest fires, landslides, and floods, and 3) The recommendations for participatory community forest management were: village leaders should be aware of the benefits and harms of deforestation. There was a forest ordination ceremony, the monks preaching Dharma Charoen Phutthamon, releasing fish and making dams overflow to make the forest a sacred place according to the beliefs of the villagers and increase the chances of survival of the forest.