FOREST CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

Conservation of forest is a national problem so it must be tackled with perfect coordination between forest department and other departments as well as the government at all the three levels. People’s participation in the conservation of forests is of vital importance. Cutting of timber and other forest produce could be restricted. Grasslands should be regenerated. Forest Conservation Act, 1980 should be strictly implemented to check deforestation.

1. JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT

JFM is a mechanism identifies and respects the local community’s right and benefits that they need from forest resources.

Under JFM schemes, Forest Protection Communities (FPCs) from local community members are formed. They participate in restoring the green cover and protect the area from being over – exploited.

Under the National Forest Policy of 1988 added importance To Joint Forest Management (JFM) is given which co-opts the local village communities and the forest department to work together to sustainable manage our forests.

Another resolution in 1990 provided a formal structure for community participation though the formation of village forest communities (VFS). Based on this experience, new JFM guidelines were issued in 2000 which stipulated that at least 25% of the income from the area must go to community.

2. AGRO-FORESTRY:

A sustainable system of managing a piece of land through combined production of agricultural crops and forest crops/ animals, either simultaneously or sequentially to ensure the most efficient land use under a management system in accordance with socio-cultural practices of local people.

3. SOCIAL FORESTRY:

It is the plantation in non-forest area for benefit of the society. Social Forestry refers to the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development. The term was first used in India in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, Government of India.

4. CAMPA

(Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority )

To compensate the loss of forest area and to maintain the sustainability, the Government of India came up with CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).

The law establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state. 

These Funds will receive payments for:

 (i) Compensatory Afforestation.

 (ii) Net Present Value Of Forest (NPV)

 (iii) Other Project Specific Payments.

The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%. According to the Act’s provision, a company diverting forest land must provide alternative land to take up compensatory afforestation. For afforestation, the company should pay to plant new trees in the alternative land provided to the state.

Way forward

Likewise various other efforts like sustainable agriculture practices and Regulation Of Plantation, Bamboo Usage, Protection Of Flora And Fauna, ecological bridges and corridors to prevent man-animal conflicts, flood plain management, catchment area regulation, careful planning in ecological sensitive areas, maintenance of reservoirs, prevention of landslides etc are other efforts to be undertake for forest conservation and management.