Forest Conservation

Forest Conservation

Forests are deeply connected to our life and environment. Forests provide us with many economic and social benefits directly and indirectly. That is why forests are called green gold. Human development cannot be done without the protection of forests. Forests are the nature's gift which sustain all life. The uncontrolled and reckless felling of trees particularly in the Himalayas and other hilly areas has resulted in soil erosion, irregular rainfall and frequent floods. Soil erosion and depletion has adversely affected agriculture. The growing population of human beings as well as animals has resulted in shrinking of forest areas. Wanton destruction of forests and uncontrolled grazing have aggravated the situation. The country is today facing an acute ecological and socio-economic crisis.
India is one of the few countries where forest policy has been in force since 1894. Revised it in 1952 and 1988
National Forest Policy (1988) - According to this revised forest policy, the government will emphasize sustainable forest management, which will conserve and develop one more forest resources and on the other hand the needs of the local people will be met. Major objectives- (i) Forest cover on 33 percent of the country, which is 6 percent more than the current national level. (ii) Maintaining environmental balance and planting forest in ecologically unbalanced areas. (ii) Conservation of natural heritage, biodiversity and genetic bridge of the country. (iv) Prevention of soil erosion and desertification and flood and drought control. (v) Extension of forest cover by social forestry and forest planting on degraded land. (vi) To provide timber, fuel, fodder and food to the forest dependent rural tribes by increasing the productivity of the forests and to use other items in place of wood. (V) To promote tree planting, to organize a mass movement to stop the felling of trees, including women so that the pressure on forests is reduced.

Steps Initiated Under Forest Policy
- The following measures are being taken under the National Forest Policy for the advancement of forests in India
1. Social Forestry - The term 'social forestry' was first used by forest scientist Vaistobi. Social forestry was introduced in India in 1950.
Meaning and Purpose - The management and protection of forests and planting of forest on the wasteland is called social forestry with the aim of helping in environmental, social and rural development. The main objective of this program is rural development for poor people.
Types of Social Forestry - National Agricultural Commission (1976-79) has divided social forestry into three classes.
i) Urban forestry - private and public land around cities and around them; Such as planting and managing trees on green belt, parks, places along roads, industrial and commercial sites.
. (ii) Rural Forestry - In rural forestry both agro-forestry and community agro-forestry are promoted.
i) Agricultural forestry means planting trees and crops together on arable and wasteland. Under this, forestry and farming are done simultaneously, so that food, fodder, fuel, timber and fruits can be produced simultaneously. Public lands in community forestry; Such as village-grassland, temple-land, canal banks on both sides of roads, trees on both sides of rail tracks and schools. Its purpose is to benefit the entire community. One of the objectives of this scheme is to connect the landless people with forestry and to give them the benefits that only the landowners get.
(ii) Farm Forestry - Under Farm Forestry, farmers plant trees of commercial importance or other in their fields. The forest department provides free saplings to small and medium farmers. Many types of land under this scheme; For example, trees are planted in fields, fairs, grassland, vacant land near the house and animal fences.

2. Tree Plantation - To prevent sand dunes from the Thar Desert from growing further, trees have been planted along the Indo-Pak border along a 650-km long and 8-km-wide strip.
3. The national Programmes - National Forest In Action programme-NFAP has been launched in August 1999 with the aim of covering one-third of the country in the following years.
4. People's Participation - Joint Forest Management-JFM has been designed with the aim of ensuring participation of rural communities for the protection of the emaciated population. In September 2005, 36,165 rural forest conservation societies were doing conservation and management of the country's 102 lakh tier forest lands.
5. Participation (share) - Another centrally sponsored scheme 'Organizing Scheduled Tribes and Poor Villagers for Conservation of Degraded Forests on the basis of mutual participation' has been started in 1998.
6. Research and Management - The Forest Research Institute based in Dehradun and the Indian Institute of Forest Management located in Bhopal are prestigious institutions not only of India but of Asia which do research not only for the advancement of forests in the country , But also gives guidance and training. Similarly, Forest Survey of India (FSI) collected information and data related to forest areas and forest resources of the country.

7. Five Year Plans - Under the Eleventh Five-Year Plan 2007-2012, a coordinated aa Integrated Forest Protection Scheme has been launched throughout the country, aimed at forest fire prevention and management of forest fires and the north eastern region and forest areas of Sikkim. To overcome the shortcomings of the basic structure.