With 14,539 hectares of forest land having been encroached upon in the state, Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmed, while releasing the J&K State Forest Policy 2010 here today, not only laid emphasis on the protection of forest cover, but also announced that the Forest Protection Force (FPF) would be provided arms to check timber smuggling.

Addressing mediapersons here today, the minister said the policy was formulated after extensive consultations with stakeholders from the civil society, NGOs, government departments, local communities and commercial organisations.

“Although the government has been framing guidelines and issuing instructions for regulating various aspects of forest management from time to time, it was felt that there was a need for formulating a forest policy keeping in view the current needs and future challenges,” he said.

He admitted that in the absence of a policy, lack of coordination among various government departments and increasing population, forest land had been encroached upon.

“To preserve our forests and check encroachments, we have decided to update our records in tandem with the Revenue Department in a time-bound manner”, he said, adding that “critical” areas near towns and cities would be demarcated in a phased manner.

“In fact, we have already started the process in the Bhatindi and Sunjwan areas in Jammu while a demarcation division has been shifted to Bhaderwah for the purpose”, he said.

Replying to questions, he said to deal with timber smugglers, the department would provide weapons to the FPF, particularly in the forest areas in the Pir Panjal ranges and Shopian in Kashmir. “We have already procured some weapons, which are with the Home Department,” he added.

He stressed that the protection of forest land was being accorded the top priority in the policy which prescribed the reconciliation of records of the revenue and forest departments and the use of modern technology for mapping the forest areas and the management of the boundaries.

Considering the potential of forests for climate change mitigation and adaptation, the policy laid emphasis on the enhancement of forest carbon stocks and also provided for 100 per cent incentive flow to the local community wherever such incentives accrued due to afforestation efforts, he said.

“From forests and climate change to wildlife conservation, biodiversity conservation, eco-tourism, nature tourism, revenue generation, forestry research, development of infrastructure and human resources, reclaiming encroached forest land and preventing forest fires, we have drawn up a strategy to preserve and expand the forest cover”, the minister said.

“Though 9,482 hectares of forest land in the Jammu region and 4,877 hectares in Kashmir has been encroached upon, there has been no compromise ever since the coalition government assumed office”, he said.