Too many of the same trees hurt the environment
Transnationals have been promoting tree planting on a massive scale in Latin America so as to have a ready supply of raw materials to match an ever-growing global demand for paper, but this is hurting the environment, experts say. The wood pulp industry likes ecucalyptus trees most because they adapt …
Army fights a different battle - over forest on Tibet border
It's all quiet on the border with Tibet in this north Sikkim outback. But the Indian Army is engaged in a war of attrition, not across the border, but with the forest department of the Sikkim Government. On the face of it, the fight is over control of the pristine …
Nomadic tribe opposes eviction move
Some relief came the way of the nomadic Van Gujjars with the Principal Secretary (Forests), Mr. T. George Joseph, directing the proposed Rajaji National Park authorities not to curtail the traditional rights enjoyed by these tribals till he visited the area and held talks with them.Mr. Joseph was scheduled to …
Meet on community forestry concludes
The third national workshop on community forestry concluded in Kathmandu, where a senior official revealed that the Nepal government is working on a 15-year master plan on community forestry management. The plan has given emphasis to the institutional capacity of forest development, forest, environment and biodiversity, community resource management and …
Dukuduku forest faces destruction in six months
Northern KwaZulu-Natal's Dukuduku forest in South Africa may be destroyed within six months if the more than 20 000 squatters living there are not removed, the Democratic Party warned on Wednesday. Speaking at the release of a DP aerial survey of the forest, MP Wessel Nel said: "At the current …
Qualitative forestry management for development
Over 70,000 thousand Nepali households have been participating in community forestry programmes and there exists more than 6,000 user groups all over the country, according to senior officials of the Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation. As a result of such programmes, "over half a million hectares of government land …
Afforestation pays rich dividends in Himachal
A ban on felling of trees for commercial purposes has paid rich dividends in Himachal Pradesh in terms of increased forest cover and a spurt in the number of some of the endangered wildlife. About 20,198 sq km of the State's total geographical area of 55,683 sq km was now …
Govt in a fix over vehicles turning 15 from January
The Delhi Government is yet to come out with a policy on the fate of commercial vehicles that will turn 15 from January onward. The Supreme Court order of September 22 stipulates that all commercial vehicles 15 years old and above have to be off the roads after Decemebr 31.Transport …
Forest protection force will clear encroachments in J&K
The Forest Protection Force (FPF) being set up in Jammu and Kashmir will justify its existence more by removing encroachments on forest land than by counter-smuggling operations, says its director, R M Saxena. The armed FPF, equippecd with modern communications network to facilitate rapid action, is espected to curb forest …
ICFRE in pact with NRDC for tech marketing
The Indian Council of Forest Research and Education (ICFRE) has joined hands with the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) to market at home and abroad, new technologies developed by ICFRE research institutes.
Plan to offer wastelands to industry angers greens
Renewed efforts by the Central government to offer forest wastelands to industry for the dual purpose of captive plantations and afforestation have begun to cause concern among environmental groups in the country. While the government wants to propel its afforestation drive and reclaim forest wastelands by offering them to industry, …
Fungi enlisted in reforestation campaign
Shandong Province in western China was once covered with forests. Efforts to restore vegetation in the area was taken up by The Green Earth Network, a Japanese-supported project to restore vegetation in the province. And after years of repeated trial and error, the researchers seems to have found the answer …
Illegal felling of teak trees will be checked
Prabhakar: The Karnataka state government has recently accorded permission to the forest department for recruiting 600 forest guards exclusively for protecting the forest area with 10,000 teak trees surrounding Gundlakammeswaram area in Kurnool district.
Goa HC orders removal of work by Tata housing project
The first real estate project of the Tata Housing Development Company in Goa has received a severe blow with the High Court ordering removal of all the developmental work carried out so far, and restoring of the land to its original green cover.
National panel seeks action on deforestation
The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources today demanded that the State Governemt should initiate action against corrupt officials responsible for depleting the forest cover, destruction of Western Ghats and irregularities in leasing of protected lands to Taj Resorts in Nagarhole in the State.
48 tree species in India under threat
Report : About 10 per cent of the world's one lakh tree species, including 48 from India, are in imminent danger of being wiped out, according to a report. The 'world list of threatened trees' prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) based in UK, reported in the journal …
Govt set to clear private sector's role in forestry
The government is working out the modalities for allowing industry to participate in reforestation of degraded forest land. According to Union environment and forests, minister Suresh P Prabhu, the government plans to put the following conditions:-No land will be given on lease;-There will be no transfer of ownership; and-Only degraded …
48 tree species in India under threat
About ten per cent of the world's one lakh tree species, including 48 from India, are in imminent danger of being wiped out, according to a report. The 'World list of threatened trees' prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) based in the UK, reported in the journal 'Science', …
Himachal Forest Minister's plea
The Forest Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Roop Singh Thakur, has urged the Centre to provide an assistance of Rs. 2 crores for rehabilitation of wildlife sanctuaries and nature parks in the State.At a meeting with Mr Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr. Thakur forwarded two project …
