Opening its doors wide open for private sector's role in management of natural resources, the National Forest Commission report calls for corporate funding for revival of degraded forest. It also want wildlife resorts mushrooming around wildlife sanctuaries to hire mostly tribals and route back part of profits for area development.
"Corporate funding should be invited for revival of degraded forests," recommended the National Forest Commission, set up in 2003 under the chairmanship of former chief justice of India, BN Kirpal.
Focusing on the problem of resources for forest conservation, the report calls for cess on sale of forest produce. "Revenue generated from lease of mines in forest areas should be credited to the forest conservation fund. Contributions make to the fund by corporate companies or individuals should be exempt from income tax," the report said.
With an accent on eco-tourism, the committee felt that wildlife resorts "must ensure that at least 60 per cent of their staff and 40 per cent of their salary expenses go to local residents. This must be rigorously enforced in tribal areas". Further, the Commission felt that funds generated through tourism should go for development of the local communities, and not to the State exchequer.
Calling for encouraging tribals to manage wildlife parks, the Commission wants them to get trained as wildlife guides and for anti-poaching activities.
The report also calls for rationalising protected area boundaries by States. "In lieu of areas that would be excised from the protected areas, States would add other larger human settlement-free habitats to the protected areas concerned," the report said. This way, a large number of human settlements on the periphery of the protected areas could be excluded, while protected areas that exist only on paper could be made smaller and manageable.
