Out of the State’s geographical area of 16 ,579 Sq.Km., forests occupy an area of approximately 8629 Sq.Kms, i.e.,52.04%. The break up is as follows:
| Legal Status | Forest Area (Sq.Kms.) | % of Total Forest Area | % of Total Geographical Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| a). Government owned Forests: | |||
| 1. Reserved Forests & Wildlife Sanctuaries* | 264.28 | 3.06% | 1.59% |
| 2. Protected Forests | 34.69 | 0.40% | 0.40% |
| 3.Purchased Forests | 192.47 | 2.20% | 2.20% |
| b). Government controlled | |||
| (Private owned) Forests: | |||
| 5. Protected Forest | 516.79 | 5.98% | 3.1171% |
| c). Village Owned Forests: | |||
| 6. Virgin Forests | 4778.27 | 55.40% | 28.8212% |
| 7. Degraded Forest | 2842.80 | 32.90% | 17.1467% |
| Total (a+b+c) | 8629.30 | 100.00% | 52.0442% |
| d). OWNERSHIP | |||
| i) State Government | 1008.23 | 11.70% | 6.00% |
| ii) Private/Community | 7621.07 | 88.30% | 46.00% |
| Total | 8629.30 | 100.00% | 52.00% |
*(Wildlife Sanctuaries – 202.02 2.31% 2.31%)
