Professional Documents
Culture Documents
presented by
Dr. Bipin Behari Deputy Inspector General of Forests Ministry of Environment & Forests Government of India e-mail: b.behari@nic.in
The National Forest Commission made following two recommendations for the welfare of the forestry front line staff to enhance their efficiency and there by improve forest staff and community relations. Recommendation 291 For the welfare of the service (housing, educational facilities for children, conveyance, facilities for maintaining physical fitness, grievances handling and counseling etc.), the State Governments should establish Forest Services Beneficiary Funds. Recommendation 300 Making frontline staff a satisfied lot is a most important tool for achieving effective conservation and management of forest. For this, it is necessary that their housing problem is addressed. Keeping in view the remoteness of the posting of
the frontline staff, they are not in a position to keep their families at their place of posting. It is, therefore, recommended that Forest Housing Corporations be
created by every State Government to construct primarily family accommodations for the frontline staff. An adequate corpus fund be allotted to
Mission Construction of office buildings and family accommodation for forest personnel to enhance their efficiency and to improve their community relations, which will further ensure optimized quality towards achieving sustainable development. Objectives The main objectives to be persued as per the Memorandum of Association: To undertake construction of buildings for housing the employees of the State Forest Department in the city / town, Range, Beat etc. To undertake construction of the buildings for the offices of Beat, Ranges, SDOs and other such allied offices of Research and Training as per the requirement. To undertake all kinds of construction and allied works alongwith the welfare activities required for the State Forest Staff from time to time.
To formulate and execute various housing schemes for serving and retired employee of the Forest Department.
Criteria and indicators for Sustainable Forest Management National Working Plan Code Ministry of Environment & Forests Government of India New Delhi, June 2004
The Government of India, the State Government, and IIFMBhopal are in the process of finalizing the Criteria and Indicators for monitoring and evaluation of Sustainable Forest Management. As and when these are finalized, the monitoring and evaluation of implementation of the working plan will be done accordingly.
The Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) need to be adopted with the active participation of the States / UTs before they are incorporated into the Working Plan Code.
It is necessary to develop the Standards which are prerequisite for the development of Forest Certification mechanism in the country.
Forest Certification
Looking the development of global scenario, it has become imperative to have a National policy on 'certification'. From domestic (National) point of view also, certification is necessary to ensure the continuity of forest goods and services through SFM approach.
Forest Certification has emerged as a market-based mechanism in support of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).
Certification initiatives rely on consumers exercising purchasing choice in favour of products labeled, as originating from forests certified as being sustainably managed.
Certification and Eco-labeling are the new mantras to enhance the product positioning for a premium price on one hand and ensuring better forest management practices on the other hand.
(iii) The State Governments must take necessary steps to sensitize / create awareness among their staff and the members of the JFM committees for SFM through C&I. (iv) The State Governments / UTs Administration must avail the opportunity of necessary funding for these activities under NNRMS Scheme of Ministry of Environment and Forests. (v) The C&I for SFM once accepted at the National level may be incorporated in the Working plan code making it mandatory for the States to prepare the Working Plan accordingly.
(vi) The outcome of the two days meeting of SFM Cell (26 27th July, 2007) and working draft of C&I may be sent to all the States / UTs, IIFM and all members, attending invitees and concerned for their comments within a month.
Comments on improved / modified 8 Criteria and 37 Indicators Madhya Pradesh Tamil Nadu
Financial resources for operationalisation of Criteria and Indicators in the field for Sustainable Forest Management State Forest Schemes / research programme or project of Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM). XIth Five Year Plan
Financial support from ITTO etc. International Organisations. National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) scheme of the Ministry.
Minutes of the 21st Meeting of the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) Standing Committee on Bio-Resources and Environment held at MoEF, New Delhi on 29th November, 2006 Thrust areas for the XIth Plan
i.
National wetland inventory (1:50000 scale inventory) and creation of spatial database including providing information in GIS domain to the Users
ii. Forest encroachment assessment iii. Forest Working Plan (to be initiated in about 50 Forest Divisions) including Criteria Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management iv. Desertification Status Mapping of India at 1:50 000 scale; Desertification vulnerability & early warning