In an attempt to encourage people to take up massive tree plantations outside natural forests, the ministry of environment, forests and climate change has called on states to liberalise felling and transit pass (TP) regime for trees grown on non-forest and private land.
The MoEF guidelines say some tree and bamboo species, in areas where they are found in the neighbouring forests, may be brought under the limited restrictive provisions for felling and transit to safeguard trees from such forests.
MoEF has also asked the states to authorize gram sabha concerned to regulate felling and transit of trees or timber grown under agro-farm forestry or private lands in the village.
“A special standing committee of gram sabha or the joint forest management committee (JFMC) may be authorised to certify the origin of timber from trees felled in private non-forest lands for utilization of such produce within the district. This may accordingly be recognized under the existing transit rules of the state,” says MoEF guidelines.
MoEF has also asked the forest departments to issue permits based on the certificate of origin issued by authorized representative of such committees of gram sabha/JFMC for movement across districts or states. The forest department should also initially guide the committee in technical matters and maintain an oversight mechanism.
An official said there has been a long-felt need to create enabling environment for massive tree plantation outside the natural forests as is also envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988, to achieve the national goal of 33 per cent of geographical area of the country under forest or tree cover.
It would also meet the growing demands of wood and non-wood products, including fuel wood, fodder, food and renewable bio-resources in view of increasing population and development needs of the country.
In this regard, MoEF had issued guidelines in 2004 but it did not bring the desired results and the apprehensions persist that people face difficulties in disposing trees grown on their lands in view of the rigid felling and transit regulations.
In Maharashtra, except Vidarbha, entire state has been exempted from transit pass (TP) regime for bamboo.
The MoEF, therefore, constituted a committee to study current regulatory regime regarding felling and transit regulations for trees species grown on non-forest/private lands. The guidelines are based on recommendations of this committee.
These guidelines aim to bring in clarity and long-term certainty so private land owners, farmers, land owning agencies, financial institutions, industries and others are encouraged to invest in tree plantations with a long-term perspective.
“The objective is to create an enabling environment to motivate and facilitate people to plant trees on non-forest/private lands which will supplement and partner the efforts of the government in increasing forest and tree cover of the country from present 23.81 per cent to 33 per cent,” he said.
Growing green timber
- Simplified TP regime to encourage private initiative in greening of cities and surrounding areas
- Permission for felling and transit be given in time bound manner
- Permission involving forest officials be given in transparent and time bound process
- Interstate movement of timber from agroforestry plantations to be facilitated to benefit tree growers to get best market price
- Transparent and simple methodology to maintain records of tree plantation on private land to help decentralise issuance of TPs
- Registration of plantations to be encouraged, with database linked to existing forest and revenue recording system of states
- Forest department should list all trees exempt from requirements of felling and TP
