While projects on Bar Valley and Khunjerab National Park were in their inception phase, the Conservation Division of WWF - Pakistan initiated one more project on the conservation of the Chilgoza (Pinus gerardiana) forest in the Suleiman Mountain Range in 2001. This challenging project was initiated in the tribal area of Balochistan - a different political and administrative setup from that of northern areas.

The experience of conflict resolution in the Khunjerab National Park helped WWF - P tremendously in resolving land disputes in the Suleiman Range,, turning abandoned agricultural lands into productive fields. The project, though it was on an ad- hoc basis and had meagre financial resources, established a fine precedent of effective community participation in the conservation of natural resources. Many conservation contracts were signed with the owners of Chilghoza forests and improved seed varieties of wheat and maize were sown on a trial basis.

In an effort to reduce pressure on this precious natural resource, WWF - Pakistan arranged for levelling of wastelands belonging to participating forest owners, with the intention that they use it for agricultural purposes.

.To control commercial logging of Chilgoza forests
.To control hunting, habitat loss and wildlife forest
.To control scrub-land gradation

WWF - Pakistan Fact sheet on "Sustainable Management of Chilgoza Forest Ecosystem of the Suleiman Mountain Range in Balochistan through Community Development "is available at the Environmental Data Resource Centre, WWF - P Head Office, Lahore WWF - P and tribal leaders work to ease the pressure off the country's Chilgoza forests WWF-Canon/Hartmut JUNGIUS