People participation in the management of forests can help in increasing forest produce as well as in their conservation. Participation of local people in the management of forest leads to the revival of degraded sal forest. In 1972, the West Bengal Forest Department formulated a novel scheme to revive the degraded sal forest by involving the local people. The forest officer A. K. Banerjee involved the villagers of the area around the forest in the protection of 1272 hectares of degraded Sal forest. In return for help in protecting the forest, the villagers were given employment in both silviculture and harvesting operations of the forest, 25 percent of the final harvest produce, and were allowed to collect firewood and fodder from the forest area on a nominal payment. With the active and willing participation of local people around the forest, the degraded sal forest of Arabari became thick and green within ten years.