NATIONAL FOREST POLICY
1988
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
NEW DELHI
No. 3-1/86-FP
Ministry of Environment and Forests
(Department of Environment, Forests & Wildlife)
Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex,
Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110003.
Dated the 7th December, 1988.
RESOLUTION
National Forest Policy, 1988
1. PREAMBLE
1.1. In Resolution No.13/52/F, dated the 12th May, 1952, the Government of
India in the erstwhile Ministry of Food and Agriculture enunciated a Forest Policy
to be followed in the management of State Forests in the country. However, over
the years,* forests in the country have suffered serious depletion. This is
attributable to relentless pressures arising from ever-increasing demand for fuel-
wood, fodder and timber; inadequacy of protection measures; diversion of forest
lands to non-forest uses without ensuring compensatory afforestation and
essential environmental safeguards; and the tendency to look upon forests as
revenue earning resource. The need to review the situation and to evolve, for the
future, a new strategy of forest conservation has become imperative.
Conservation includes preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilisation,
restoration, and enhancement of the natural environment. It has thus become
necessary to review and revise the National Forest Policy.
2. BASIC OBJECTIVES
2.1 The basic objectives that should govern the National Forest Policy - are the
following:
• Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and, where
necessary, restoration of the ecological balance that has been adversely
disturbed by serious depletion of the forests of the country.
• Conserving the natural heritage of the country by preserving the remaining
natural forests with the vast variety of flora and fauna, which represent the
remarkable biological diversity and genetic resources of the country.
• Checking soil erosion and denudation in the catchment areas of rivers,
lakes, reservoirs in the "interest of soil and water conservation, for
mitigating floods and droughts and for the retardation of siltation of
reservoirs.
• Checking the extension of sand-dunes in the desert areas of Rajasthan
and along the coastal tracts.
• Increasing substantially the forest/tree cover in the country through
massive afforestation and social forestry programmes, especially on all
denuded, degraded and unproductive lands.
• Meeting the requirements of fuel-wood, fodder, minor forest produce and
small timber of the rural and tribal populations.
• Increasing the productivity of forests to meet essential national needs.
• Encouraging efficient utilisation of forest produce and maximising
substitution of wood.
• Creating a massive people's movement with the involvement of women,
for achieving these objectives and to minimise pressure on existing
forests.
2.2 The principal aim of Forest Policy must be to ensure environmental stability
and maintenance of ecological balance including atmospheric equilibrium which
are vital for sustenance of all lifeforms, human, animal and plant. The derivation
of direct economic benefit must be subordinated to this principal aim.
3. ESSENTIALS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT
3.1 Existing forests and forest lands should be fully protected and -their
productivity improved. Forest and vegetal cover should be increased rapidly on
hill slopes, in catchment areas of rivers, lakes and reservoirs and ocean shores
and, on semi-arid, and and desert tracts.
3.2 Diversion of good and productive agricultural lands to forestry should be
discouraged in view of the need for increased food production.
3.3 For the conservation of total biological diversity, the network of national
parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and other protected areas should be
strengthened and extended adequately.
3.4 Provision of sufficient fodder, fuel and pasture, specially in areas adjoining
forest, is necessary in order to prevent depletion of forests beyond the
sustainable limit. Since fuelwood continues to be the predominant source of
energy in rural areas, the programme of afforestation should be intensified with
special emphasis on augmenting fuelwood production to meet the requirement of
the rural people.
3.5 Minor forest produce provides sustenance to tribal population and to other
communities residing in and around the forests. Such produce should be
protected, improved and their production enhanced with due regard to generation
of employment and income.
4. STRATEGY
4.1 Area under Forests
The national goal should be to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area
of the country under forest or tree cover. In the hills and in mountainous regions,
the aim should be to maintain two-third of the area under such cover in order to
prevent erosion and land degradation and to ensure the stability of the fragile
eco-system.
4.2 Afforestation, Social Forestry & Farm Forestry
4.2.1 A massive need-based and time bound programme of afforestation and
tree planting, with particular emphasis on fuelwood and fodder development, on
all degraded and denuded lands in the country, whether forest or non-forest land,
is a national imperative.
4.2.2 It is necessary to encourage the planting of trees alongside of roads,
railway lines, rivers and streams and canals, an d on other unutilised lands under
State/corporate, institutional_ or private ownership. Green belts should be raised
in urban/industrial areas as well as in arid tracts. Such a programme will help to
check erosion and desertification as well as improve the microclimate.
4.2.3 Village and community lands, including those on foreshores and environs of
tanks, not required for other productive uses, should be taken up for the
development of tree crops and fodder resources. Technical assistance and other
inputs necessary for initiating such programmes should be provided by the
Government. The revenues generated through such programmes should belong
to the panchayats where the lands are vested in them; in all other cases, such
revenues should be shared with the local communities in order to provide an
incentive to them. The vesting, in individuals, particularly from the weaker
sections (such as landless labour, small and marginal farmers, scheduled castes,
tribals, women) of certain ownership rights over trees, could be considered,
subject to appropriate regulations; beneficiaries would be entitled to usufruct and
would in turn be responsible for their security and maintenance.
4.2.4 Land laws should be so modified wherever necessary so as to facilitate and
motivate individuals and institutions to undertake tree-farming and grow fodder
plants, grasses and legumes on their own land. Wherever degraded lands should
be made available for this purpose either on lease or on the basis of a tree-patta
scheme. Such leasing of the land should be subject to the land grant rules and
land ceiling laws. Steps necessary to encourage them to do so must be taken.
Appropriate regulations should govern the felling of trees on private holding.
4.3 Management of State Forests
4.3.1 Schemes and projects which interfere with forests that clothe steep slopes,
catchments of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, geologically unstable terrain and
such other ecologically sensitive areas should be severely restricted. Tropical
rain/moist forests, particularly in areas like Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman
& Nicobar Islands, should be totally safeguarded.
4.3.2 No forest should be permitted to be worked without - the Government
having approved the management plan, which should be in a prescribed format
and in keeping with the National Forest Policy. The Central Government should
issue necessary guidelines to the State Governments in this regard and monitor
compliance.
4.3.3 In order to meet the growing needs for essential goods and services which
the forests provide, it is necessary to enhance forest cover and productivity of the
forests through the application of scientific and technical inputs. Production
forestry programmes, while aiming at enhancing the forest cover in the country,
and meeting national needs, should also be oriented to narrowing, by the turn of
the century, the increasing gap between demand and supply of fuelwood. No
such programme, however, should entail clear-felling of adequately stocked
natural forests. Nor should exotic species be introduced, through public or private
sources, unless long-term scientific trials undertaken by specialists in ecology,
forestry and agriculture have established that they are suitable and have no
adverse impact on native vegetation and environment.
4.3.4 Rights and Concessions
4.3.4.1 The rights and concessions, including grazing, should always remain
related to the carrying capacity of forests. The capacity itself should be optimised
by increased investment, silvicultural research and development of the area.
Stall-feeding of cattle should be encouraged'. The requirements of the
community, which cannot be met by the rights and concessions so determined,
should be met by development of social forestry outside the reserved forests.
4.3.4.2 The holders of customary rights and concessions in forest areas should
be motivated to identify themselves with the protection and development of
forests from which they derive benefits. The rights and concessions from forests
should primarily be for the bonafide use of the communities living within and
around forest areas, specially the tribals.
4.3.4.3 The life of tribals and other poor living within and near forests revolves
around forests. The rights and concessions enjoyed by them should be fully
protected. Their domestic requirements of fuelwood, fodder, minor forest produce
and construction timber should be the first charge on forest produce. These and
substitute materials should be made available through conveniently located
depots at reasonable prices.
4.3.4.4 Similar consideration should be given to scheduled castes and other poor
living near forests. However, the area, which such consideration should cover,
would be determined by the carrying capacity of the forests.
4.3.5 Wood is in short supply. The long-term solution for meeting the existing gap
lies in increasing the productivity of forests, but to relieve the existing pressure on
forests for the demands of railway sleepers, construction industry (particularly in
the public- sector), furniture and panelling, mine-pit props, paper and paper
board etc. substitution of wood needs to be taken recourse to. Similarly, on the
front of domestic energy, fuelwood needs to be substituted as far as practicable
with alternate sources like bio-gas, LPG and solar energy. Fuel-efficient
"Chulhas" as a measure of conservation of fuelwood need to be popularised in
rural areas.
4.4 Diversion of Forest Lands for Non-forest purposes
4.4.1 Forest land or land with tree cover should not be -treated merely as a
resource readily available to be utilised for various projects and programmes, but
as a national asset which requires to be properly safeguarded for providing
sustained benefits to the entire community. Diversion of forest land for any
non-forest purpose should be subject to the most careful examinations by
specialists from the standpoint of social and envir6nmental costs and benefits.
Construction of dams and reservoirs, mining and industrial development and
expansion of agriculture should be consistent with the needs for conservation of
trees and forests. Projects which involve such diversion should at least provide in
their investment budget, funds for regeneration/compensatory afforestation.
4.4.2 Beneficiaries who are allowed mining and quarrying in forest land and in
land covered by trees should' be required to repair and re-vegetate the area in
accordance with established forestry practices. No mining lease should be
granted to any party, private or public, without a proper mine management plan
appraised from the environmental angle and enforced by adequate machinery.
4.5 Wildlife Conservation
Forest Management should take special care of the needs of wildlife
conservation, and forest management plans should include prescriptions for this
purpose. It is specially essential to provide for "corridors" linking the protected
areas in order to maintain genetic continuity between artificially separated
sub-sections of migrant wildlife.
4.6 Tribal People and Forests
Having regard to the symbiotic relationship between the tribal people and forests,
a primary task of all agencies responsible for forest management, including the
forest development corporations should be to associate the tribal people closely
in the protection, regeneration and development of forests as well as to provide
gainful employment to people living in and around the forest. While safeguarding
the customary rights and interests of such people, forestry programmes should
pay special attention to the following:
• One of the major causes for degradation of forest is illegal cutting and
removal by contractors and their labour. In order to put, an end to this
practice, contractors should be replaced by institutions such as tribal
cooperatives, labour cooperatives, government corporations, etc. as early
as possible;
• Protection, regeneration and optimum collection of minor forest produce
along with institutional arrangements for the marketing of such produce;
• Development of forest villages on par with revenue villages;
• Family oriented schemes for improving the status of the tribal
beneficiaries; and
Undertaking integrated are a development programmes to meet the needs of the
tribal, economy in and around the forest areas, including the provision of
alternative sources of domestic energy on a subsidised basis, to reduce pressure
on the existing forest areas.
4.7 Shifting Cultivation
Shifting cultivation is affecting the environment .and productivity of land
adversely. Alternative avenues of income, suitably harmonised with the right
landuse practices, should be devised to discourage shifting cultivation. Efforts
should be made to contain such cultivation within the area already affected, by
propagating improved agricultural practices. Area already damaged by such
cultivation should be rehabilitated through social forestry and energy plantations.
4.8 Damage to Forests from Encroachments, Fires and Grazing
4.8.1 Encroachment on forest lands has been on the increase. This trend has to
be arrested and effective action taken to prevent its continuance. There, should
be no regularisation of existing encroachments.
4.8.2 The incidence of forest fires in the country is high. Standing trees and
fodder are destroyed on a large scale and natural regeneration annihilated by
such fires. Special precautions should be taken during the fire season. Improved
and modern management practices should be adopted to deal with forest fires.
4.8.3 Grazing in forest areas should be regulated with the involvement of the
community Special conservation areas, young plantations and regeneration
areas should be fully protected. Grazing and browsing in forest areas need to be
controlled. Adequate grazing fees should be levied to discourage people in forest
areas from maintaining large herds of non-essential livestock.
4.9 Forest-based Industries
The main considerations governing the establishment of forest-based industries
and supply of raw material to them should be as follows:
• As far as possible, a forest-based industry should raise the raw material
needed for meeting its own requirements, preferably by establishment of a
direct relationship between the factory and the individuals who can grow
the raw material by supporting the individuals with inputs including credit,
constant technical advice and finally harvesting and transport services.
• No forest-based enterprise, except that at the village or cottage level,
should be permitted in the future unless it has been first cleared after a
careful scrutiny with regard to assured availability of raw material. In any
case, the fuel, fodder and timber requirements of the local population
should not be sacrificed for this purpose.
• Forest-based industries must not only provide employment to local people
on priority but also involve them fully in raising trees and raw-material.
• Natural forests serve as a gene pool resource and help to maintain
ecological balance. Such forests will not, therefore, be made available to
industries for ' undertaking plantation and for any other activities.
• Farmers, particularly small and marginal farmers, would be encouraged to
grow, on marginal/degraded lands available with them, wood species
required for industries. These may also be grown along with fuel and
fodder species on community lands not required for pasture purposes, and
by Forest department/corporations on degraded forests, not earmarked for
natural regeneration.
• The practice of supply of forest produce to industry at concessional. prices
should cease. Industry should be encouraged to use alternative raw
materials. Import of wood and wood products should be liberalised.
• The above considerations will, however, be subject to the current policy
relating to land ceiling and land-laws.
4.10 Forest Extension
Forest conservation programme cannot succeed without the willing support and
cooperation of the people. It is essential, therefore, to inculcate in the people, a
direct interest in forests, their. development and conservation, and to make them
conscious of the value of trees, wildlife and nature in general. This can be
achieved through the involvement of educational institutions, right from the
primary stage. Farmers and interested people should be provided opportunities
through institutions like Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Trainers' Training Centres to learn
agrisilvicultural and silvicultural techniques to ensure optimum use of their land
and water resources. Short term extension courses and lectures should be
organised in order to educate farmers. For this purpose, it is essential that
suitable programmes are propagated through mass media, audio-visual aids and
the extension machinery.
4.11 Forestry Education
Forestry should be recogr1ised both as a scientific discipline as well as a
profession. Agriculture universities and institutions, dedicated to the development
of forestry education should formulate curricula and courses for imparting
academic education and promoting postgraduate research and professional
excellence, keeping in view the manpower needs of the country. Academic and
professional qualifications - in forestry should be kept in view for recruitment to
the Indian Forest Service and the State Forest Service. Specialised and
orientation courses far developing better management skills by inservice training
need to be encouraged, taking into account the latest development in forestry
and related disciplines.
4.12 Forestry Research
With the increasing recognition of the importance of forests for environmental
health, energy and employment, emphasis must be laid on scientific forestry
research, necessitating adequate strengthening of the research base as well as
new priorities for action. Some broad priority areas of research and development
needing special attention are:
• Increasing the productivity of wood and other forest produce per unit of
area per unit time by the application of modern scientific and technological
methods.
• Revegetation of barren/marginal/waste/mined lands and watershed areas.
• Effective conservation and management of existing forest resources
(mainly natural forest eco-systems).
• Research related to social forestry for rural/ tribal development.
• Development of substitutes to replace wood and wood products.
• Research related to wildlife and management of national parks and
sanctuaries.
4.13 Personnel Management
Government policies in personnel management for professional foresters and
forest scientists should aim at enhancing their professional competence and
status and attracting and retaining qualified - and motivated personnel, keeping
in view particularly -the Arduous nature of duties they have to perform, often in
remote and inhospitable places.
4.14 Forest Survey and Data Base
Inadequacy of data regarding forest resources is a matter of concern because
this creates a false sense of complacency. Priority needs to. be accorded to
completing the survey of forest resources in the country on scientific lines and to
updating information. For this purpose, periodical collection, collation and
publication of reliable data on relevant aspects of forest management needs to
be improved with recourse to modern technology and equipment.
4.15 Legal Support and Infrastructure Development
Appropriate legislation should be undertaken, supported by adequate
infrastructure, at the Centre and State levels in order to implement the Policy
effectively.
4.16 Financial Support for Forestry
The objectives of this revised Policy cannot be achieved without the investment
of financial and other r6sources on a substantial scale. Such investment is
indeed fully justified considering the contribution of forests in maintaining
essential ecological processes and life support systems and in preserving
genetic diversity. Forests should not be looked upon as a source of revenue.
Forests are a renewable natural resource. They are a national asset to be
protected and enhanced for the well-being of the people and the Nation.
(K.P.Geethakrishnan)
Secretary to the Government of India