Joint forest management (JFM) and felling ban in the Darjeeling Himalayas, have created management complexity and led towards passive forest management approach. Both limited role of the local people in JFM program i.e. reforestation/afforestation and protection and no thinning due to felling ban have fueled regeneration damages and rampant branch cutting of the upper canopy trees. However, community based forest management has been proved as an appropriate approach to enhance sustainable forest management in the developing world, the strategy to reduce their dependency on the forests may be counterproductive .