PANJIM: Announcing that the demarcation of private forest in the State will be completed by April 2017, Forest Minister Alina Saldanha said that the draft Private Forest Management Policy has been forwarded to the Ministry of Environment and Forest for approval.
The policy, which will be kept open for public views post approval from MoEF, contains certain facilities and privileges for the owners of the land whereby they will be allowed plantation, construction for family needs or for eco-tourism activities.
Saldanha said that that the Private Forest Management Policy is being formalized by the State government and the same is been sent to the MoEF for its approval. “It would then be placed in the public domain for comments from the general public thereon and its finalization,” Minister said in a press statement issued to media on Thursday.
Saldanha said that the policy was drafted as the Government was convinced of the need to provide relief and some concessions to the landowners whose land has been identified as Private Forest.
Minister said that the private forests attract provisions of the Forest Conservation Act 1980 and any diversion of forestland requires approval of MOEF, New Delhi.
The Goa Forest Ministry is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the Policy is put in place at the earliest, she added.
Saldanha said that the two committees- North Goa and South Goa are currently in process of identifying and demarcating private forests. “The actual extent of land under private forest will be known only after the completion of survey,” she said adding that the process would be completed by April 2017.
Minister said that the progress of private forest identification by the committees is under scrutiny of the National Green Tribunal.
As per the guidelines/criteria for identifying privately owned areas as private forests, all areas contiguous to government forests having 75 per cent forestry species composition and with 40 per cent canopy cover, will be considered as forest, irrespective of the size of the plot. While in another areas, besides 40 per cent canopy cover and 75 per cent Forestry Species composition, the minimum area will also be considered and it should not be less than 5 hectares.
