Forest Conservation

Forests—Need For Conservation
Trees are mankind's lifeline. If they are destroyed, there is no way that human beings can survive. From the oxygen that we breathe in, the food that we eat, to the clothes we wear, we owe it all to the trees. Not only this, trees act as purifiers of air and receptacles of our waste products. Trees have great economic value too. We get fuel, fodder, timber, medicines and numerous other valuable products from the trees. It is, therefore, not surprising that trees were given great importance in our culture, our tradition, our mythology and legends. The entire Panchatantra revolves around forests and its inhabitants. Tulsi plant is always found and worshipped in a traditional home. Pipal tree is revered by all. Neem is valuable as an insecticide, germicide and medicine, in the times when there were no coolers or air conditioners people comforted themselves in the cool shades of mango, neem and other trees during summer heat. The survival of entire wild life depends upon the health and well being of our trees and specially our forests.Today, however, the forests are in danger. Their survival is at stake as man, in his blind pursuit of wealth and power, is bent upon destroying them. The urgent need today is to save our forests from extinction. For sustaining ecological balance, for environmental and other reasons, it is important that at least one third of our land is covered with forests. However, today we have less than 20% area under forests and much of it is degraded forest. Over felling of trees, hindering natural process of pollination and germination and diverting land for other purposes have all taken their toll on forests. So, the need of the hour is to work to save existing forests and help in bringing larger area under forests. The need to conserve forests and upgrade them was recognized decades back by the Indian Government. Subsequently, to promote research in forestry and allied sciences, a Forest Research Institute, and for forest management, an Indian Institute of Forest Management were opened. While Indian Forest Service was organized on an efficient basis by Sir John Strachedy, a new orientation was given to it after independence. The need to involve public was felt and so social forestry scheme was launched. The purpose was to make forestry a mass movement. 'One tree for every child', Trees for Eco-development' and numerous other schemes were launched. To provide financial support, Forest Development Boards were set up. An innovative scheme to involve industries and private parties in afforestation drive was launched under Industrial Plantation. To make use of the waste lands, marginal lands and desert lands, 'energy plantations', fodder plantations' etc. were attempted. Under DDP, forests were sought to be promoted not only to restore fragile ecological balance but also to provide people with the means of livelihood. Similarly, DPAP was launched with afforestation as its cornerstone.Despite all such efforts, we find very little tangible result. Forests are still getting cut and degraded and wildlife still being destroyed. Somehow, the awareness that forests are in danger and that we should do something about it has still not reached many of us. And many of us, who know the fact, do not know what to be done about it. Forestry is highly labor intensive primary activity. Unless, people are involved neck deep in the afforestation drive, little progress can be made. Spread of information by mass media, through social workers, in schools and colleges, at work places, all these are required for the drive to become a movement. While most of us know the importance of forests, we take them for granted. Conservation of forests does not mean that they should not be used for economic purposes but should be used efficiently and in a way that does not endanger the ecological balance and does not destroy the home of wild animals. Presently, forests are being used for mainly two purpose— fuelwood and timber—both involve felling trees.This can be avoided by either developing alternative sources of energy (there are many-solar, biogas etc.), alternative means for construction (CPWD has banned the use of wood in houses) or by growing at least one (if not two) tree for each tree cut. Secondly, new, better means of using forests should be evolved. Sericulture, mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, horticulture, etc. are not only viable but also very profitable alternatives. At the same time, forests should be protected as a system. This means that monocultures are avoided and variety of trees suitable to the local environs be grown.The question today is not whether or not afforestation but how. Our very survival depends upon how successful we are in our mission. Let m think about future. In the greed for short term gains, 4et us not put our very survival at stake. We all have role to play in this movement. If each one of us grows just one healthy and suitable tree in his life time, the problem will be solved. To misquote Armstrong—It is a small 'ask for each one of us but a giant task for the mankind.

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Evolution of Forest Policies in India

Introduction:
Forests play an important role in economic sustainability and environmental importance. Forests play a major role in: providing natural habitat for biodiversity and repository of generic wealth; provision for recreation and opportunity for tourism; supply of timber, fuel, fodder and non-wood products; carbon sequestration and carbon sink; as a watershed to regulate water regime, conserve soil and control floods.
Their contribution to the local and global environment has not been fully realized. A combination of market and the institutional failures has led to forest failing to so contribute as significantly to rural incomes and poverty alleviation and economic growth as would be possible under good economic and technical management.
As a result a review of the forest development in last 150 years will help to furnish a historical background of modern Indian forestry. This resolution is more than the nature of guidelines than a time bound action program. The policy imperatives pave a direction to the state of present development scenario of the forests and the potential growth prospective.

National Forest Policy: 1894
- Sole object with which state forests are administered is public benefit. In general, constitution and preservation of forests involve regulation of rights and restriction of the privileges of the user in the forest by neighboring population.
- Forests situated on the hill slopes should be maintained as protection, preservation of forests for climatic conditioning and protection of cultivated plains that lie below them from the devastating action of hill torrents.
- Forests which are reservoir of valuable timbers should be managed on the commercial lines as a source of revenue to the state.
- Whenever an effective demand for the culturable land exists and can only be met from the forest area, the land should ordinarily be relinquished without hesitation subject to: honeycombing of the valuable forest by patches of cultivation should not be allowed and cultivation must be on permanent lines.
- Forests that yield only timber, fuel or fodder or are used for the purpose of grazing should be managed mainly in the interest of local population.
This policy was based on the desire that forests serve agricultural interests more directly than before.

National Forest Policy: 1952
After independence it was felt that revolutionary changes which have taken place during the interval in physical, economic and political fields called for reorientation of the old policy hence a reform was introduced. It was revised in 1952 and announced as resolution of the government of India. It proposed classification of forests on functional basis: protected forests, national forests, village forests and tree lands. It emphasized for evolving a system of balanced and a complementary land use, under which each kind of land could be allotted for that use that would produce most and deteriorate least. It discouraged indiscriminate extension of arable land by excision of forests, emphasized that forestry has no intrinsic right to land but might be permitted on sufferance on residual land not required for any other purpose had to be combated.
It lays stress on:
- Weaning away tribal people from persuasion from a baneful practice of shifting cultivation.
- Giving requisite training to the staff of all ranks.
- Increasing the efficiency of forest administration by having adequate forest laws.
- Controlling grazing of forests.
- Promoting welfare of people.
- Providing facilities for management of forests and research.
Implementation:
- Government has recognized that in order to achieve self sufficiency our forest earnings should be increased at a higher rate.
- It lays stress on evolving a system of balanced and complementary land use.
- It stresses the need for establishing tree lands for amelioration of physical and climatic conditions.
- It provides classification of forests on functional basis.
- It recognizes the importance of forest in development of the economy.
- Lays stress on evolving appropriate policies and measures to encourage development of forests with a view of developing agriculture, forest based industries and increasing land under them to step up the export of forest commodities.
Major objective was the development of productive forests as a national commitment in larger interest of economy and human welfare. All the administration of forests rest entirely with the states, they are the ultimate authority to implement any policy decision. No concerned efforts were made to bring the recommended 60% of area under forest in mountainous tract liable to erosion and 20% in plains.
Revision of Policy: 1976
The basic aims were:
- Effective steps to be taken by CBF to increase the forest area in various states.
- Proportion of each state and UT’s under forest should be clearly indicated.
- Central government should accord priority to the detailed survey of all the lands on the basis of evolving a system of balanced land use.
- Necessary steps should be taken to demarcate forests on a functional basis and collect statistics.
- Government should take effective measures to ensure that simultaneous steps are taken to afforest areas.
- Urgent steps should be taken by centre to carry on a special study of forest grazing in the country so that sound policy is evolved.
- In means of shifting cultivation, besides agro-silviculture steps should be taken to provide tribals with alternative means of livelihood.
- The feasibility of restricting the rights of local people under customary laws in certain states by providing assistance to affected parties examined by CBF.
- Need to provide funds on a continuing basis to achieve the desired results in the development of forests.
National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) view two pivotal points on which forest policy should be based: meet the requirements of the goods; meet the present and future demands for protective and recreative functions of the forest and considering the factors of employment, right of user and involvement of local people.
NCA recommendations should be based on:
- Managing forest resource of the country.
- Checking denudation and erosion in mountainous regions and preservation of fertility.
- Preventing erosion along treeless banks of the rivers.
- Maximizing forest productivity with a view to meet the growing demand for industrial raw material.
- Providing timber requirements.
- Developing ecosystem for maintenance of healthy relationship between soil, vegetation and animal life.
National Forest Policy: 1988
Objectives:
- Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and restoration of ecological balance.
- Conservation on natural heritage.
- Check on soil erosion and denudation in catchment areas of Rajasthan and along the coastal tracts.
- Sustainable increase in forest covers by massive afforestation and social forestry programs.
- Steps to meet the requirement of fuel wood, fodder, forest produce and timber and also check the needs of tribal population.
- Increase the productivity of forest to meet national needs.
- Encouragement in efficient utilization of forest produce and optimum substitution of wood.
- To create massive people’s movement with involvement of women to achieve the objectives and minimize pressure on existing forests.
Forest education: mainly deals with management and resource control, production and resource utilization, inventory and planning, wildlife and environment and wood sciences.
Forest research: mainly deals with re-vegetation of barren lands and watershed areas; research on social forestry and tribal development; development on substitutes to replace wood products; related research to wildlife and management of national parks; increasing productivity of wood per unit area per unit time by application of modern scientific and technological methods; development of germ plasm banks; check breeding and improve species; generate vegetative propagation techniques and cytology.
Personnel management: enhance professional competence and status, attract qualified and motivated personnel and keep in view duties performed in remote places also.
Priority needs: need for forest survey and database, legal support for networking, infrastructure development and financial support for forestry.

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