In a first of its kind study on felling and transit regulations for tree species grown on non-forest and private land, an expert panel has called for mapping of such plantations.
It also suggested a uniform mechanism to regulate transit of forest produce, such as timber, within a State, and also in various States forming a region, such as the North East.
The panel, headed by A.K. Bansal, Additional Director-General of Forests, was set up in 2011 to study the regulatory regime in the backdrop of low forest and tree cover in the country.
According to the report, forest and tree cover has stabilised at around 23 per cent of geographical area, whereas the National Forest Policy1988 lays down the national goal of 33 per cent for ensuring environmental balance.
The panel felt that as the area under natural forest was difficult to increase, the extension of forestry in non-forest areas, such as agro-forestry and farm forestry, had vast scope to meet the need for timber and other wood products, thereby reducing the pressure on natural forests.
Among various recommendations, the report, submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), has underlined the need for maintaining a record of tree plantations on private land.
“Such records will help in decentralising issuing of transit permits and cutting permissions subsequently at village level,” it said, and added that the MoEF could suggest working guidelines so that there was uniformity across the country.
Noting that agriculture was a State subject, whereas forestry was in the Concurrent list, the report said there was need for an apex co-ordinating body or institutional support mechanism at the inter-Ministerial level.
It also noted that the country needed an additional 10 percentage point geographical area under forest/tree cover to achieve the national goal of 33 per cent set in 1988, the report said this would be difficult to achieve in view of competing land use for agriculture, industrial and infrastructure development, urbanisation etc.
“Therefore, multiple land use with an important component of tree growth on non-forest lands holds the key for achieving the national goal for forest and tree cover,” it said, and added that degraded/fallow lands could be made available on lease or on the basis of a tree-patta scheme.