I think the success of the conservation effort has been helped by the low population. Undoubtedly, however, when that population increases, there will be some increased pressure on the forests. Maybe some will be diverted toward industrial employment, so I think that there will not be that much pressure, but it will nevertheless increase somewhat. So far we have been totally dependent for our energy requirements on the forests. In the interior villages where the transmission line, because of its high cost, cannot reach, we are going to put up small hydroelectric plants, enough for each particular segregated village, and thereby reduce the pressure on the forests.
Farmers are free to collect dead, dying or dry wood from the nearby forests free of tax.
They do not have to obtain a permit to do this. As for the urban areas, people there have to pay tax and also get a permit, and they have to get this from a government logging centre. I think, compared with other countries, the cost of timber in Bhutan is not too expensive - it is very reasonable. There are no cash subsidies. The only thing we can consider a subsidy is that we give them free advice, and free seedlings - and these are available from the nurseries near their homes.