PROTECTION OF FORESTS

The Department is making necessary efforts to discourage the illegal felling and encroachments in Government forests have been removed by the Departmental staffs with the assistance of Civil Administration and Police. Extension activities of the Department have yielded positive result and active support of NGOs has also been received.

INTENSIFICATION OF FOREST MANAGEMENT (IFM):

Forests of India are endowed with rich fauna and flora. India is one of the 12-mega bio diversity countries of the world. National Forest Policy 1988 emphasizes environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance. The productivity of forests is to be increased to meet essential national needs like fuel wood, fodder, minor forest produces and small timber for the rural and tribal population. Special precautions should be taken during the fire season to prevent the incidence of forests fires and improved modern management practices should be adopted to deal with them. The scheme is now being extended to all the States and Union Territories during the 12th Five Year Plan. It is a 90:10% fund sharing scheme.

This scheme was formerly known as the “Integrated Forest Management Scheme”. It was formulated by merging two schemes of the 9th Five Year Plan ‘Forest Fire Control and Management’ and ‘Bridging of Infrastructure Gaps in the Forestry Sector in the North Eastern Region and Sikkim’. The Scheme was continued during 11th Plan period. The department shall take maximum advantage from this scheme to bridge the infrastructural gaps in forestry development in the State. The main components of the schemes are:

• Infrastructure Development
  • Strengthening of Infrastructure for Forest Protection.
  • Working Plan Preparation/Survey and Development.
• Forest Fire Control and ManagementBoth the components of the Scheme will be implemented in all the State and Union Territories
  • To maintain environmental stability through preservation and where necessary, restoration of ecological balance that has been adversely affected by depletion of the forest cover of the country
  • To preserve the natural heritage of the country by protecting and conserving the remaining natural forests with the vast variety of flora and fauna which represent the remarkable biological diversity and genetic resources of the country through strengthening of the infrastructures of the Forest Department.
  • To improve the productivity of forests to meet essential National needs
  • To ensure scientific management of the forests by preparing and implementing good quality working plans.
  • To protect forest against forest fires by adopting improved and modern management practices and through the co operation of the local communities on the principles of Joint Forest Management.