Thirty one year-old Kota of Thangrong geog in Mongar made his hundredth trip, six hours downhill to the roadhead in Sherichu 36 kilometres from Trashigang (Bhutan), last week. It was his final trip for the year, his horse carrying the last two tins of resin he extracted from the Chirpine forests. Starting work in early March, Kota, like he has done for the last five years, cut channels on the trunk of about 600 Chirpine trees and fixed Gumlas (Cone shaped metal containers to collect resin). Every fortnight Kota roamed the forests emptying the resin from the gumlas into tins. But the question often raised today is whether the socio-economic benefit to the villagers is greater than the damage caused to the natural environment. A researcher from the Khangma forestry project said the damage to the Chirpine forests can upset the biodiversity in the area forever. Zangpo from Ozrong geog says that hundreds of trees have been killed since tapping started years ago. People think that by digging deeper into the trunk more resin will flow but it also hastens the death of the tree.