Perceptions of Ethnic Minorities on Tree Growing for Environmental Services in Thailand - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 401

resources. The Karen tended to stress the significance of rules more often than the
Hmong. It was viewed that the rules for the conservation forest regarding the cut-
ting of trees needed to be strict, while for other land uses sustainable use was
emphasized. Furthermore, several interviewees mentioned education as a means to
promote the sustainability of forest use.

19.6 Reforestation to Maintain Environmental Services

Reforestation was regarded in the villages as one measure for keeping land under
forest cover. Reforestation was initiated in Thailand during the early 20th century.
Since the 1990s it has focused on protective purposes, particularly in the northern
watersheds (Nalampoon 2003). The main species planted in the North have been
the native pines Benguet pine ( Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon) and Sumatran pine
( P. merkusii Junghuhn & de Vriese), and teak ( Tectona grandis L.f.) (Griffen 2001).
In the area studied, trees planted in the Royal Forest Department projects included
benguet pine, which was favoured for its fast growth, and some twenty other spe-
cies. The objective in these projects was to reforest severely degraded hillsides in
the important watersheds. Often, reforestation was carried out in former swidden
areas and opium poppy fields. The villagers had been involved in planting and
maintenance as a labour force in these government reforestation activities, in which
usually one member from each household participated. All capable villagers, how-
ever, participated in the small-scale tree-planting activities within villages taking
place on the King's and Queen's birthdays. In addition, an NGO Care Thailand
organized reforestation activities in the area. Furthermore, the Royal Project,
started by the initiative of the King, included training of local people to plant trees
on their own land.
Motivation of the villagers for reforestation was principally based on ecological
benefits. Reforestation was perceived as one method of natural resource conservation
and a way of 'helping the environment'. Maintenance of water balance was sug-
gested to be the most important environmental benefit of reforestation. Another
incentive for reforestation was that the villagers were commonly allowed to gather
non-timber forest products from the reforested areas, whereas the natural forests
were usually protected by stricter rules.
Disincentives for local participation in reforestation were also apparent. The
sites for tree-planting activities were sometimes outside the village territory, which
lowered the motivation of villagers to participate in activities. If the sites were in
the vicinity of the village or in the fallow lands, people regarded these areas as
potential farming land, and using these lands for reforestation means a decrease in
farming area. Thus, reforestation was viewed as competing for land resources with
agriculture (see also Lakanavichian 2001). Furthermore, reforestation projects were
not perceived as actual sources of income: compensation paid to the villagers for
their participation, in addition to covering the expenses, was usually regarded as
low and infrequent.