KOLLAM: The identification process of critical wildlife habitats (CWH) in the State will be finalised after examining the revised guidelines notified by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). In all probability, the process will begin this month itself, sources in the Forest and Wildlife Department said. The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) is likely to be the consultant for the process, the sources said. It is part of a nation-wide exercise to be completed within two months, following directions from the MoEF. The venture is for the purpose of notifying the CWHs as per the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. Two options The notification is expected to assist in the rehabilitation process of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers in the CWHs through two options. The families can choose any one option. One will be a package of Rs.10 lakh per family, where no relocation process by the Forest Department will be involved and the other option is to be a part of the relocation programme away from the CWH. The identification process is expected to be extremely challenging for the State that has about 21 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and more than eighty forest ranges. Many of the forest ranges too have a strong wildlife presence and some of them are poised to be declared as wildlife sanctuaries in the near future. These elements qualify them to be identified as CWHs. But most of these ranges have forest dwellers too. While the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the State are CWHs, they need to have buffer zones around them. These zones also have to be identified as CWHs to effectively protect parks and sanctuaries, the sources said. The identification process will seriously consider this. The national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala are the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Neyyar wildlife sanctuary, Peechi-Vazhani wildlife sanctuary, Parambikkulam Tiger Reserve (national park), Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, Idukki wildlife sanctuary, Eraviukulam wildlife sanctuary, Peppara wildlife sanctuary, Thattekkad bird sanctuary, Shendurni wildlife sanctuary, Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Chimmony wildlife sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park, Aralam wildlife sanctuary, Pambadum Shola National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, Mangalavanam bird sanctuary, Kurinjimala sanctuary, Malabar wildlife sanctuary and the Chulannur peacock sanctuary. The nodal ministry for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act is the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, but, with respect to the provisions in two sections of the Act pertaining to CWHs, the MoEF is the nodal ministry. The Act defines a CWH as a national park of wildlife sanctuary that