Nepal is a small mountainous country surrounded by China to the north and India to the south, east and west with total land area of 147,181 km². The forest and shrub land together cover about 5.83 million ha which is 39.6% of the total land of the country (GoV/N, 1999). The country is rich in biodiversity because of its altitudinal and climatic variations. The forest resource is one of the imperative sources of income that is directly correlated with livelihood systems of the locals. About 25.5% of the total population is below poverty line (government information, 2010 , But some studies have noted that more than 38 % population is below poverty line) where 70% is estimated to be forest dependent.

Forest resources of Nepal are managed under different management model. Among them, community forestry management (CFM) is one of the renowned participatory schemes. About 15,000 Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) are legally functioning across the country. Nepal is in fact a leading country in institutionalizing the concept of CFM in national forest policy , with 35% of the total population of the country managing around 1.2 m ha or 25 % of the National Forest ( Kesheb Kanel 2004). The harmony among different ethnic groups, indigenous people and other forest dependent communities during the process and functions of the community forest management are enthusiastic and impressive. Because of the effective and efficient management model, community forestry has become a popular model of community development not only in Nepal but also to the rest of the world. However, government is still reluctant to handover forest, in which the daily livelihood, to community. The data shows that more than 78% of the national forest area is still under government supervision that is severely affected by deforestation and degradation.

Nepal is under the political transition and rules and regulations of the forestry sector at the field level have seemed ineffective. Reports generated by media, parliamentary committee for natural resources and means and civil society organizations have indicated that the mismanagement and misguidance of Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFS) is the main cause of deforestation and forest degradation. Historical evidences show that Nepal's forest has always been suffered during the political transition. The current transitional state and the breakdown of the rule of law have allowed a nationwide network of timber mafia to be flourished.

Deforestation and illegal harvesting of the timber is much more serious problem in Nepal. Nearly 30 years after the state began to hand over the forest to local communities for protection, management and utilization, the community forestry appears to be a victim of its own success. The forests that communities nourished have become so valuable that some corrupted community leaders, political parties' leaders and government officials have been attracted by the timber mafias to plunder woodland. The evidences have shown that even MoFS has a good link with timber mafias and encouraging government officials for illegal chopping up and trading of timber . A study conducted by parliamentary committee on natural resources and means estimated that 10 million cubic feet of timber have been illegally cut down and smuggled from forest of Terai and Inner Terai, with collecting black money between the range of 16,000 to 20,000 million Nepali currencies during the fiscal year 2066/067. The parliament committee also charged to the Forest Minister of his involvement in smuggling large quantity of timber being a hidden partner of the timber mafias.

However, there is no available actual data of reducing the forest areas, it is clear fact that forest in Nepal is being disappeared at the alarming rate. It is estimated that more than 1200,000 ha of forest area with the 2% deforestation rate in government managed forests have disappeared during the period of last three years and millions of cubic feet of timber have been smuggled from the forest. The major causes of depletion and deforestation of forest are unethical governance system of the forestry sector and institutionalization of corruption. Result is that illegal logging and trading of the valuable timber of the plain area has occurred tremendously. These are the big challenges to the community to safeguarding of forest.

It shows that deforestation and forest disappearance have been occurring tremendously in government managed forests. Unfortunately, the MoFS and its allies are blaming community people for deforestation and depletion of forest ignoring the contributions of communities in restoring forest in the country.

Different studies, reports and media have indicated that ministry is one of the key players of deforestation and forest depletion in the country. People are saying that minister and some bureaucrats under the MoFSC have good relation to timber mafias and poachers. They have been using these networks to clear the forest and earn illegal money. The minister of Forest and soil conservation seems to think his job is not to save forest but raze them. Trees are being felled by logging groups that enjoy political patronage and protection from minister. On the other hand, in some cases, community leaders have been colluding with timber poachers and corrupted local officials to harvest trees.

It is well known that major cause of depletion and deforestation of forest is unethical government system of forestry sector, which has also institutionalized the corruption, has become a big challenge for minimizing and stopping the deforestation rate. Result is that illegal cutting and trading of the valuable timber of the plain area has occurred tremendously. To hide all these evidences, unfortunately the government is blaming communities for deforestation and depletion of forest area and trying to downsize the community power through amendment of existing forest policy and law.

Therefore, now it is very critical situation on the forestry sector. Every day forest area is being depleted and destroyed for smuggling valuable timbers. It is time to need to work together to protect our forest from smugglers and timber mafias. Therefore, come together and join hands with community people to save forest nationwide.