SUKHI?s objective is to work in poverty alleviation enhancement through different interventions focusing on improvement in, living conditions and infrastructure in the project area. Forestry is one of the sectors which plays an important role in the Pakistan?s economy. Forests are important for the land and water resources, particularly in prolonging the life of water reservoirs, and irrigation network of canals. Forestry is also essential for maintaining and ensures the sustained supply of wood and wood products. Pakistan has very low percentage of forests i.e. 1.5% only. Forests and rangelands support about 30 million herds of livestock?s. No serious efforts have been made so far to increase the present forest area and protection of these forests. The present forest area is threatened by:
· Illegal cutting of forest trees.
· Accidental fire.
· Controlled burning of pasture management.
· Fire or collection of honey and protection from wild animals.
· Trash and slash burning by community.
· Deliberate setting of fire in the forest to cover the theft of forest trees/illegal cutting.
· Fireworks on marriages and happy occasions and for game purpose burnout the forests.
· Lack of awareness among the community about utility of fruit plants and orchards as a means of poverty alleviation.
· Threat to the environment of the area due to forest cutting.
Through an integrated project of fire protection and social awareness campaign we can eliminate these threats to forests.
3. Context/Baseline
In consultation with the community of the area and the members of the organization namely (CASMA) Communities Association for Sustainable Development of Murree Areas has shown their deep desire to safeguard the deforestation in the area and the damaged being caused by the fire and their cutting.
The project area is consisted of two union councils namely, Charehan and Bun, total population of these union councils is 18,306 persons. CASMA is a network, comprising of 144 Community Based Organization (each CBO represented by 25-50 members and 1 member representing 1 household) working on:
· Agriculture (Seed, vegetables growing, kitchen gardening, agricultural. inputs, etc.)
· Livestock (Livestock production, vaccination, breeding artificial insemination, deworming, Poultry production and breeding, etc.)
· Forestry (Plantation of Trees, raising of nurseries, Forest protection practices)
· Environment (Terracing, Check deforestation and Soil erosion, etc)
· Infrastructure (spring water tank, Roof water storage tank, water pond for irrigation, footpaths, etc.)
4. Project Objectives and Proposed Activity
The primary objective of the Project is to ensure plantation of at least 50,000 forest trees and fruit plants in the project area. The following type of plants have initially and tentatively been identified in consultation with Forest Department (for forest plants) and with community (CASMA) for fruit plants:
Forest Plants:
· Popular
· Pine
· Rubenia
· Alneths
· Bunn Akhrot
Fruit Plants for households and orchards:
· Peach
· Apple
· Chinese Lemon
· Chinese grapes
· Plum
· Pear
Another objective is to develop and increase awareness among the masses regarding tree plantation as well as fruit plants, decrease environment threat, check soil erosion, help in watershed management, improve regular flow of water in springs, check landslide, improve aesthetic value of the area, promote tourism industry, protect wildlife, etc. The beneficiaries of the Project are the people of the community of the area. Another objective is to promote social forestry through free distribution of fruit plants and forest plants in the effected areas from forest cutting. It is also intended to promote rain water conservation technology. (details given at Annex V containing photographs of the technology)
5. Project Strategy
The project will involve local communities? academia, Civil Society Organizations, private Sector and the concerned Government Departments. The project will bring together the NGO?s working in the area and organized community groups. The CBOs (includes women CBOs) established in the areas and their participation is more productive in dealing with the objectives of the project. Government/Semi Government and Local Government organizations working in the area will be helpful to run the project successfully and they shall be fully involved in the project for awareness campaign. More than 500 activists of CASMA are well trained in different fields like Community Management, Agricultural Extension, Forest Plantation, Livestock Extension, Vegetable production and Kitchen Gardening, etc. The following activities will be taken in hand to start the work:

· SUKHI will launch awareness campaign through public meeting in the villages through involving CBOs? Network, Government/Semi Government and NGOs working in the area.
· Banners, Wall chalking, Sign boards, will be displayed in the area and on the public service vehicles.
· Speech contest in the schools and stickers will be distributed to creating awareness of tree plantation in the students. With spread out population and students being far away from schools are the best activists to protect forest from accidental fire and watch on illegal cutting of forest trees while going and coming back from schools. They are also helpful to create awareness to their illiterate parents.
· The activists of CBOs will be trained in tree plantation in the forest areas.
· These activists will be helpful to the SUKHI for awareness campaign in the project area through community contribution.
· A strong communication network will be established to call the people for help in case of accidental fire.
· Network of CBOs will be helpful in facilitating the SUKHI/Forest Department against illegal cutting, theft and smuggling of forest trees/timber.
· A regular monthly meeting will be held by SUKHI by inviting the CASMA?s CBOs? representatives to review the project activities and planning for the next month and search out the way of collaboration.
· Local Imams Masjid (Religious Leaders) will also be involved to create awareness among community people regarding tree plantation and protection through quoting Holy Quran and Hadeeth.

7. Anticipated Results
Following results are expected through this project:
· A cadre of well motivated / trained activist will be available in all villages of the project area.
· Sustainable biological resources will flourish in the area.
· Check the soil erosion caused by burning of trees, bushes and flora of area through accidental fire.
· Improve aesthetic value of the area.
· Ensure regular flow of drinking water in from springs.
· Increase protection for natural fauna /wildlife in the area.
· Shall introduce rain water conservation technology in the area.
· Shall improve the income generation activity through plantation of fruit plants and setting of orchards as a means of poverty alleviation.
Background of Project Area

In the year 1997 European Union (EU) had initiated a project titled as ?Environmental Rehabilitation in NWFP and Punjab (EPNP) and under its umbrella the project covered as ?Murree Kahuta Kotli Satian (MKKS) area in which 14 Union Councils of Tehsil Murree (out of 15 Union Councils) were covered. In this project the funding share of EU was 94% and of Govt of Pakistan (GOP) was 6%. The project covered the following sectors.

i Agriculture
(Seeds, vegetable growing, kitchen gardening, inputs, vegetable seed bits)
ii Livestock & Poultry
(Including vaccination, livestock & poultry breeding, artificial insemination, deworming, provision of manager for animal feed)
iii Forestry
(Plantation of trees, orchards, nursery plants for P-bags)
iv Environment
(Rain water shelters, Terracing)
v Infrastructure
(Spring water tanks, roof water storage tanks, footpaths)

In order to achieve the desired objectives f the project, one of the important component was, the ?implementation through social mobilization? for which CBOs formation process was initiated resulting into formation of 144 CBOs (71 male & 73 female) under the umbrella of ?Communities Association of Sustainable Development for Murree Area? (CASMA). Each CBO includes 25 to 50 members and one member representing one household and total membership of these CBOs is nearly good. Each CBO has two types f Accounts (representing savings by the members and to be utilized for interest free loan for income generating and personal needs activities) and the Funds Account (representing sale proceeds of the imports like vegetable seeds, P-bag nursery plants, poultry chicks units of each other inputs). The Saving account of 144 CBOs is estimated to be Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 million I Fund Account and Rs 1 lac in the membership Account (with Rs 50 as membership fee of CSO).
The members of CSO have received training in the subject of Community management, Agriculture extension members, Activist training, Accounts, Vegetable and Kitchen gardening reduction techniques, Forestry plantation, Livestock extension workers training. More than 500 CBO members have been trained in these fields. The community has also setup the Park in UC BUN on self help basis.
SUKHI recently entered into partnership with CASMA and mutually decided to rehash he over all objectives of the two organizations primarily focusing on environment in terms of creating an awareness amongst the communities against brutal cutting & burning of forests, promoting social forestry (plantation of fruit trees in the terraces/fields, livestock rearing (Beetal and Swiss goats))