Karnataka forests are managed according to the frame work prescribed in the National Forest Policy of India 1988. The main themes of forest management are:
• Sustainable development and management of forest meeting needs of the local people shall be the first priority of forest management.
• Protection and management of degraded forests through Joint Forest Planning and Management by involving local community through village forest committees.
• Bio-diversity conservation and eco-tourism.
All 39 Territorial Forest Divisions of the state are expected to carry out works in their areas as per the prescriptions laid down in the working plans. So far working plan reports (WPRs) for 34 divisions have been approved. Working plans reports for 2 divisons namely, Koppal and Bidar have been submitted to Government for apporval. Remaining working plan reports for Raichur, Davanagere, and Hassan Divisions are at final stages of compilation.
The forest department is no longer adopting the earlier Silvicultural practices of "conversion to uniform" or "clear felling and planting" systems. Such systems have been known to be harmful to the eco system and have a deleterious effect on local fauna and flora. Instead the emphasis is more and more on managing the forests as an eco-system. Timber and firewood production is limited to salvaging the dead and fallen trees of valuable hardwood only. Production of industrial woods is limited to plantations areas. Extraction of timber, firewood/pulpwood, bamboo & cane is done by way of improvements felling, thinning from plantation and clear felling of fuel wood plantation subject to condition that extracted area must be planted with suitable species. Harvesting of NTFPs is done by LAMPS (Large Scale Adivasi Multipurpose Co-operative Societies) as well as contractor.
(For more details, please download the Karnataka Forest Department annual report 2017 - 18, from aranya.gov.in)
