Lok Sabha Question No. 6605 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-06
Subject: National Forest Policy
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, M. UDHAYAKUMAR, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav

OIH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 6605

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2018

## National Forest Policy

6605.   SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: ADV. M. UDHAYAKUMAR: SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Union Government has come out with a new draft national forest policy and if so, the details thereof along with the salient features of the policy;
- (b)    whether  the  said  policy  calls  for  promoting  urban  greens,  public-private  partnership models for afforestation, strengthening forest fire prevention measures and plantations in catchment areas to rejuvenate water bodies and setting up of National Community Forest Management and National Board of Forestry, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the new policy is needed to face challenges of climate change, human wildlife conflict and deteriorating environments and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)    whether  the  new  draft  policy  fails  to  mention  or  address  the  degradation  of  growing stock  in  the  natural  forests,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the  Union Government thereto;
- (e)    whether  the  Union  Government  has  received  comments/suggestions  from  the  General public/stakeholders/experts on the new draft policy and if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon; and
- (f)   whether most of the objectives mentioned in earlier 1988 policy have not been met so far and if so, the reasons therefor and the response of the Union Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)to(e) Yes Madam.  The overall goal and objectives of the draft National Forest Policy, 2018 is  safe  guarding  the  ecological  and  livelihood  security  of  the  people  of  the present and future generations based on sustainable management of the forest for the flow of  ecosystem services. In order to achieve the national goal for the ecosecurity,  the  country  should  have  a  minimum  of  one  third  of  the  total  land  area under forest and tree cover.

The  other    major  objectives  of  draft  National  Forest  Policy  are  maintenance  of environmental stability  and conservation of biodiversity through preservation and conservation  of    natural  forests,  exercising  strict    restriction  on  the  diversion  of forest lands for  non forestry purposes; promotion of urban greens; management  of protected  and  wildlife    rich  areas  for    biodiversity  conservation  and  ecosystem services and  promotion of trees outside forests  by incentivizing  agroforestry and farm  forestry,  treatment  of  catchment  areas,  setting  up  of  National  Community Forest Management (CFM) mission and National Board of Forestry etc.

Further  the  new  draft  policy  is  addressing  in  detail  the  challenges  of  climate change; human wildlife conflicts and deterioration of the environment; degradation of  natural  forest  and  its  growing  stock  as  part  of  the  strategies  to  achieve  the objectives of the policy.  The draft National Forest Policy has been published for comments from general public and stakeholders  with a time frame of 14 th April, 2018.

- (f) The  major  objectives  of  the  National  Forest  Policy  1988  have  been  achieved  as evident from the increasing forest and tree cover and growing stock of forests in the country.

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