A very important aspect to the life of a villager is the community forest and grazing areas. Each household has water buffalo for milk, cows for plowing the fields and religious ceremonies, and goats for meat. Trees and grasses are often scarce on the villagers own land so the food must be found in the community areas. If there are no rules in place, it is mostly an "every man for himself" attitude. The animals are let loose to graze at liberty. This has disastrous effects on the environment. The soils becomes hard packed and new seedlings are either trampled or eaten. As a result, the forest deteriorates over time until nothing is left. The more favored alternative is to allow the villagers to come to the forest and cut the grass and fodder they need for their animals, stall-feeding them at home. A section may be set aside in the forest for each household of the village or a fee may be charged, depending on the amount of fodder taken. This fee goes into a User Group Fund which is used for the benefit of the village as a whole. A forest guard hired. A trail improved. Or the school may get a new blackboard. Taking firewood and timber would also be treated the same way.