Lapanga was perhaps one of the first Villages in Odisha to initiate formal efforts in forest conservation which started around the year 1936. The main reason for this being the loss of forest cover. An amazing fact is that many of the Villagers donated their own land for the growth of the forest. Around 50% of the protected forest area has been donated by Villagers. Unfortunately, at present, the patrolling system is in a dysfunctional state and the Forest Protection committee has been mired in internal conflicts.