For our own Survival..... SAVE FORESTS AND ANIMALS Forest Department Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Annual Report Bengaluru, Karnataka 2019-20 (April 2019-March 2020) GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA KARNATAKA FOREST DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 April 2019 - March 2020 II INDEX Chapter Page CONTENTS No. No. 1 INTRODUCTION 1-4 2 HUMAN RESOURCES 5-9 3 AWARDS AND SPORTS MEDALS 10 4 SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT 11 5 METHOD OF EXTRACTION 12 6 DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 13-20 7 NFAP - BAMBOO MISSION 21-23 8 SOCIAL FORESTRY 24-26 9 PROJECTS 27-29 10 WORKING PLANS, SURVEY AND DEMARCATION 30-37 11 EVALUATION 38-39 12 FOREST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 40-44 13 FOREST DEVELOPMENT FUND 45 14 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 46-57 15 COMPENSATORY PLANTATIONS 58-60 16 FOREST CONSERVATION 61-65 17 LAND RECORDS 66-67 18 FOREST RESEARCH & UTILISATION 68-72 19 FOREST PROTECTION & VIGILANCE 73-76 20 FOREST TRAINING 77-79 21 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 80-81 22 SAKALA 82--83 23 CENTRAL FOREST LIBRARY 84-86 24 KARNATAKA FOREST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 87-93 25 KARNATAKA CASHEW DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED 94-97 26 KARNATAKA STATE FOREST INDUSTRIES CORPORATION LIMITED 98-101 27 KARNATAKA STATE MEDINICAL PLANTS AUTHORITY (KaMPA) 102-105 III TABLES INDEX Table Page CONTENTS No. No. 1 DISTRICT WISE FOREST AREA IN KARNATAKA STATE 106 2 DISTRICT WISE FOREST AREA BY LEGAL STATUS 107 3 NOTIFICATION NO-16016/01/2004-AIS II A 108 - 110 4 ORGANISATION CHART OF THE DEPARTMENT 111 5 TIMBER AND MAJOR FOREST PRODUCE 112 6 RECORDED MINOR FOREST PRODUCE 113 -114 7 FIREWOOD RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC FOR DOMESTIC AND OTHER USE 115 8 SUPPLY OF BAMBOO TO MEDARS AND OTHERS 116 9 PLANTATIONS RAISED 117 10 PLANTATIONS RAISED FROM 2012-13 TO 2019-20 118 11 PROGRESS UNDER STATE SECTOR SCHEMES 119 - 121 12 PROGRESS UNDER DISTRCIT SCHEMES 122 13 PROGRESS UNDER CENTRALLY SPONSORED SCHEMES 122 - 123 14 PROGRESS REPORT UNDER FOREST DEVELOPMENT FUND 124 - 127 15 FOREST OFFENCE CASES 128 - 131 16 STAFF POSITION 132 17 REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE 132 - 133 18 NO OF VFC'S FORMED UNDER KSFMBC PROJECT 134 - 135 19 PUBLIC GRIEVENCES, RECEIPTS AND DISPOSALS 136 20 NOTIFICATION AND SEC 4 AND SEC 7OF FOREST ACT 137 - 139 21 OFFICERS ON DEPUITATION AND TRAINING DETALS 140 22 DETAILS OF AUDIT REPORT & DETAILS OF LA/LC QUESTIONS DURING 2017-18 141 23 DETAILS OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE 142 24 PAYMENT OF EX GRATIA FOR DEATH OF HUMAN, COMPENSATION FOR CROP 143 AND CATTLE DAMAGE BY WILDLIFE IV Chapter - 1 : Introduction 1 1. INTRODUCTION Forests provide the basic life support system to all the living beings of mother earth including mankind. Forest ecosystems provide fresh air, water resources, fertile soil for sustenance of agriculture, bio-diversity, climate change mitigation and numerous other ecosystem services. Vast sections of rural society, including a majority of the tribals, are directly dependent on forests for their livelihood. The Karnataka Forest Department has the primary mandate of protecting the forests and wildlife, conserving the rich biodiversity of the state and ensuring that the ecological balance of the forest eco-systems is maintained. The Department is headed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Head of Forest Force(HOFF). The Department presently has a total working strength of around 8951executive personnel including Indian Forest Service Officers and officers/ field staff of various cadres. The total recorded forest area of the State is 41,590.46 sq. km. The State has a network of Protected Areas with 5 National Parks, 33 Wildlife Sanctuaries (including 5 tiger Reserves), 14 Conservation Reserves and 1 Community Reserve.The work carried out by the Department can be broadly classified into the following categories: regulatory, protection, conservation and sustainable management. As part of the regulatory functions, the department enforces provisions of various legislationssuch as Karnataka Forest Act 1963, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act 1976, etc. and corresponding rules. Protection functions include, boundary consolidation, protection of forest areas from encroachment, illicit-felling, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, undertaking fire prevention and control measures etc. The conservation functions include taking up of plantation works, soil-moisture conservation and watershed development works for water security, conservation of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) species and conducting awareness activities to sensitize all sections of the society on the importance of forests, wildlife and biodiversity. Source: www.aranya.gov.in 2 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2019-20 Forest area: Karnataka State has a geographical area of 1,91,791 Sq. Km and the reconstituted expert committee-1 formed by Government of Karnataka vide GO NO FEE 270 FGK 2002 has identified 41,590.46 Sq.km is total area of forest in Karnataka. The total forest area includesreservedforests, Protected Forests, Unclassified forests, Village forests and Private forests. This further inclues, Betta, Bane, Jamamalai, forest poramboke, Kan, Kumki, Paisari, Amritmahal Kaval, Assessed waste land, Kharab lands, Inam lands, thickly wooded areas, plantations and other lands as well. Forest area details are given in Table-1 and Table-2. Objective: • Protection, conservation and consolidation of forests and protected areas (Consolidation, protection and conservation of forests, biodiversity and wildlife, and habitat improvement.) • Qualitative and quantitative enhancement of forest cover in the state (Afforestation, reforestation and regeneration of degraded forests, soil and moisture conservation.) • Sustainable management of forests (Sustainable harvest and livelihood support through people’s participation, capacity building of stakeholders, and effective delivery mechanisms.) • Expansion of tree cover outside forests (Agro-forestry, farm-forestry, tree improvement, Extension and Publicity) Mission: The department plans, executes, co-ordinates and monitors implementation of various forestry and wildlife programs to ensure ecological security and environmental balance by sustainable management of forests. It is also engaged in enhancing the forest and tree cover through people’s participation on benefit sharing basis in order to meet the people’s needs and for better realization of ecological goods and services. Chapter - 1 : Introduction 3 Vision: The vision of the Forest department is conservation, management and development of forests and tree growth on sustainable basis, for the present and the future generations. It envisages expansion of the forest and tree cover to one third of the geographical area of the state in consonance with the National Forest Policy, 1988. The focus of the department is on protecting the existing forests, greening all the barren areas of the state, and encouraging people to grow more and more trees in their lands so that the pressure on the natural forests is progressively reduced. The main functions and responsibilities of the Department: • The Effective implementation of laws and regulations pertaining to forests and wildlife. • Consolidation and preservation of forest land and woodlots. • Habitat development in Protected Areas (P.A.s) and other forest areas including wetlands. • Afforestation and reforestation of degraded forests. • Regeneration of forest areas, including soil and moisture conservation works. • Increasing tree cover outside forest through Farm Forestry, Agro Forestry, Tree Parks, and Urban Woodlots, Roadside / Canal side plantations and School Forestry etc. • Taking appropriate measures to propagate Sandalwood, medicinal plants and R.E.T. Species. • Transparent and effective delivery systems for various forest based goods and services. • Providing bamboo, cane, sandalwood etc. to forest produce dependent sections of the society and artisans to support their livelihood needs. • Research and extension support for forestry management. • Providing for adaptation of policies for mitigation of climate change in forestry planning and management. • Effective mechanism for continuous Monitoring, Evaluation and learning from all departmental activities and programmes. • Human Resource Development and capacity building of all stakeholders. 4 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2019-20 • Providing institutional mechanism for dissemination of information and communication for variousstakeholders. • Strengthening the process of Joint Forest Planning & Management/Revitalization of V.F.C.s & E.D.C.s for meaningful participation of people in Forests & Wildlife development programmes. Major Regulatory Functions: The main regulatory functions of the department have been broadly classified into the following categories. i. Regulating the exploitation of Forests for removal of timber, firewood, and other minor forest produce as laid down in the principles of the working plans. ii. Regulating the movements of forest produce, control of sawing contraventions, wood- distillations. iii. Regulating tree felling in private lands. iv. Control of diversion of Forest Lands for non-forestry purposes. v. Conservation of wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems The stated regulatory functions and responsibilities are governed by the following Statutes & Manuals. a. Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. b. Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976 and Rules. c. Protection of Wildlife Act, 1972 and Rules. d. Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Rules. e. Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969. f. Karnataka Forest Code. g. Karnataka Forest Account Code. h. Karnataka