Centre Issues Draft Rules to Ease Tree Felling, Boost Agroforestry
The government has introduced model regulations for tree felling on agricultural land to encourage agroforestry, aiming to double farmers' earnings, enhance tree cover outside forests, and alleviate climate change effects.
In a communication sent to all state administrations on June 19, the environment ministry stated that the purpose of the 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands'. It is to facilitate business operations within agroforestry and motivate farmers to incorporate trees into their agricultural practices without encountering excessive procedural challenges.
The government has been advocating for agroforestry to double farmers’ earnings, boost tree cover outside forests, address climate change, decrease timber imports, and ensure sustainable land management. It also aligns with India's climate commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement.
A significant obstacle is the absence of precise, unified regulations for tree felling on agricultural land, which hampers the cultivation and marketing of agroforestry products, as indicated by the ministry.
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As per the model rules, the State Level Committee (SLC), already established under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016, will also function as the governing body for these regulations. It will now incorporate officials from the revenue and agriculture sectors.
The committee will provide recommendations to the state government on promoting agroforestry and enhancing timber production from agricultural lands by making the rules for tree felling and transit simpler, particularly for commercially valuable species.
It will appoint agencies for the verification of applications and the transit of timber sourced from agricultural lands.
Applicants will need to register their plantation areas on the National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal. They are required to provide details of land ownership and the specific location of their agricultural land.
They must also submit fundamental plantation details, including the number of saplings by species, the planting date (month and year), and the average height of the seedlings.
Moreover, applicants will be obligated to keep this information updated as required by the SLC.
Each tree must be photographed with geotagged images saved in KML file format. These details will be monitored by officials from the forest, agriculture, and panchayati raj departments.
For locations with more than 10 trees, the applicant must submit an online application via the NTMS, detailing the trees intended for felling.
The verifying agency will conduct a site visit and generate a report outlining particulars about the land, trees, and the estimated timber quantity. Based on this report, a felling permit will be issued.
For requests concerning the felling of up to 10 trees, applicants are required to upload photographs of the trees to the NTMS. The system will determine the tree size (girth, height), potential yield, and species.
Applicants must also indicate the anticipated felling date. After the felling process, stump photos need to be uploaded.
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The relevant department may also dispatch an officer for verification. In such instances, the no objection certificate for felling will be automatically generated through the portal.
Divisional forest officers will oversee the operation of verifying agencies, providing a performance report to the SLC on a quarterly basis.