The Reafforestation Programme for Watershed Development
On December 25th. B.E. 2517 (A.D. 1974), His Majesty the King visited a Reafforestation Station at Khun Khong Village, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province. On this occasion His Majesty the King expressed his contentment with the Royal Forestry Department officials for the progress of reafforestation programme for watershed development. He also pointed out the importance of urging the Hill-Tribes people to give up opium cultivation in favour of reafforestation, perhaps even encouraging them to become employees of the department thereby enabling them to receive regular incomes.
The Royal Watershed Development Project, following His Majesty's instigation, which subsequently came into being and now totals 35 units in three northern Provinces covering an area of approximately 4,100 square kilometres is under the jurisdiction of the Royal Watershed Management Divition, Royal Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives.
The major obstacle of the reafforestation programme for watershed development is not the propagation of an ideal species of tree for cultivation, rather it is the limited budget that is available for, among other things, the purchase of necessary materials and equipments, for land preparation, road construction which act as fire-breaks and meeting employees'wages. Even though the forestry workers are each required to carry up to 60 kilogrammes of seedlings per trip over mountainous terrains before reaching a reafforestation area, many Hill-Tribes people showed
interest in becoming employees of the Royal Forestry Department and to participate in the reafforestation programme of the Royal Watershed Project which was initiated by His Majesty the King whereby they are entitled to live in a forestry village with land set aside for farming and growing cash-crops.
Since the year B.E. 2522 (A.D. 1979) the Horticultural Programme of the Royal Watershed Development Project, Unit Number 1 (Thung Cho), Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province, which was initially supported by the Faculty of Agriculture of Chiang Mai University and the United States of America's Department of Agriculture, has successfully weaned the Hill-Tribes people within that vicinity away from opium growing in favour of flower cultivation. One species of flowers that has been successfully grown is Statice, which are colourful yet hardy flowers, capable of withstanding long transportation journey to markets.
In February of the year B.E. 2523 (A.D. 1980), officials of the Watershed Management Divition, Royal Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, successfully carried out His Majesty the King's suggestion that small scale hydro-electric projects be implemented whereever possible in oder to bring electricity to remote areas. The second hydro-electric dam which was constructed in the following year at the Royal Watershed Development Project, Unit Number 2 (Huai Nam Dang), Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province, was able to produce 96 kilowatt of
electricity; an increase of 86 kilowatt over the 10 kilowatt production of the first hydro-electric dam at the Royal Watershed Development Project, Unit Number 26 (Huai Khun Khong) in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province.