The management and maintenance of Bhutan's pristine forest and mountain ecology could reach a new level with the establishment of a SAARC forestry centre in Thimphu on June 11. The centre will conduct research into mountain ecology, explore new ways of managing forest resources and other related fields, and gather research data from member states to serve as a nodal point of information on forest and related topics, besides providing policy inputs to member states. "Local foresters can avail information and data from the centre on its research and the various new approaches to manage the forest and its resources,' said the director of the centre, Dr Sangay Wangchuk. For a start, the centre will prepare a database on forestry research, workshops on medicinal plants and identifying projects on carbon sequestration this year. "After recruiting staff, we'll chalk out projects and studies that we can carry out,' said Dr Sangay Wangchuk. "We'll identify and set up research plots in various eco-systems and conduct studies.' The centre's four programmes are mountain ecology, participatory forestry, sustainable forest management and information and knowledge management. It has a budget of US$ 359,118.32. So far, the centre has received almost half the contribution. "I can't think of any appropriate venue for the forestry centre than Bhutan, known world over for the richness of its flora and fauna, and where environmental conservation is one of the pillars of its development philosophy - gross national happiness,' said the SAARC secretary general, Mr Sheel Kant Sharma, who inaugurated the centre together with agriculture minister, Lyonpo Pema Gyamtsho. "Plans are afoot to set other reserves to ensure that Bhutan continues to remain a biological hotspot,' said the agriculture minister. Bhutan has 7,000 species of vascular plants, 770 bird species, 46 species of rhododendron and, forest officials add, new species were being discovered in every survey. About 26 percent of the country is protected area and recently the cabinet of ministers approved a new park. For now, the centre has only four employees, including the director, and has advertised for a sustainable forest management specialist, and a mountain ecology specialist. By Tshering Palden tshering_palden@kuensel.com.bt