M A N A G E M E N T OF F O R E S T S |
PAST SYSTEMS OF MANAGEMENT : |
The management of the forests was earlier governed by the Working Plan written by Sri B.R. Ramabhadraiah, IFS and Management plan for Godavari Industrial Catchment written by Sri N.R.K. Rao, IFS from 1970 to 1985. |
In the past, the management of the forests was mainly confined to working of the natural forests and tending of coppice regeneration from the worked forests. Taking into consideration of the variation in the type, density and valuation of the forests, the forests of the division were classified into the follwing classes and managed in the past by constituting various working circles like Bamboo exploitation working circle, coppice with reserves working circle, fuel working circle etc. |
a) Class I - Departmental forests: Comprising all those areas that have been under departmental control since the inception of the Forest Department. |
b) Class II - Ex Panchayat Forests: Comprising all those reserves that were under Panchayat management for nearly 25 years. |
c) Class III - Ex-Zamin Forests: Comprising all those forest estates that have been the property of the Zamindars for quite a long time passed in to the hands of the State and have been subsequently transferred to the Forest Department in 1952, with the abolition of estates and conversion in to Ryotwari Act, 1948. |
Since the working of natural forests is prohibited by F(C) Act, 1980, and the current system of management is to conserve the existing forests and to improve its economic value, the above classification has no relevance in the present system of management of forests. There is need for a Working Plan based on sound silvicultural principles covering all the notified forest areas of the district by doing away with the above classification. The main objective of the current working plan is to conserve the existing forests and to improve its economic value. Hence the principal strategy of forest management will include complete conservation of Natural Forests without felling, except for forest stand quality improvement. |
Efforts have been made to prescribe various management prescriptions in conformity with the above principles. |
PRESENT WORKING PLAN PRESCRIPTIONS : |
Based on the examination of the above general objectives of management, a comprehensive framework of forest development is drawn up in the following lines: |
Forest land use management (this includes land use allocation, resource allocation, resource expansion, improved productivity, sustainable management of the natural forests and participatory forestry) |
Forest protection and land rehabilitation (this includes boundary demarcation, fire protection, regulation of grazing, soil and moisture conservation and restocking) |
Environmental conservation (this includes biodiversity conservation, wildlife conservation, protected areas management and other conservation oriented activities) |
Improved utilization (this includes increasing of the NTFP including medicinal plant resource base, adopting better harvesting and processing packages, introduction of product specific value addition, trade and marketing, efficiency in production and consumption of forest produce) |
Socio-economic conditions (this includes poverty alleviation by providing basic needs, employment and income generation, people's participation, rationalization of shifting cultivation, development of local entrepreneurships and introduction of incentives) |
Strengthening institutions (this includes development planning, database like resource inventory and forest management information system, human resource development, research, extension and public awareness, institutional reforms and inter-sectoral coordination) |
Working circles, their area and distribution, reasons for their constitution |
Working circles: In the light of above observations, following Working Circles have been constituted. |
A. Degraded forests improvement working circle. |
B. Plantation working circle. |
C. Non timber forest produce (over lapping) working circle. |
D. Bamboo (over lapping) working circle. |
E. Biodiversity conservation (over lapping) working circle. |
F. Protection working circle |
G. Social Forestry working circle. |
In addition to the above, the prescriptions of "Miscellaneous regulations" will also cover the general objects of management. |
Area allotment |
SL.NO |
I T E M |
AREA IN HA. |
1 |
Total notified area of the District |
81152.76 |
2 |
Area under Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary |
14838.00 |
3 |
Area with APFD Corporation Ltd. |
8147.99 |
|
Total area under others control (2+3) |
22985.99 |
|
Net area of the Working Plan |
58166.77 |
|
Working circle wise break up |
|
1 |
Degraded Forest improvement WC |
42682.53 |
2 |
Plantation WC |
2433.94 |
3 |
Protection WC |
13050.30 |
|
Total area of the Working Plan (including APFDC area) |
58166.77 |
METHOD OF TREATMENT |
The factors contributed to constitution of the following Working circle with method of treatment prescribed in brief are discussed below. |
3. Non-Timber Forest Produce Conservation (Overlapping) Working Circle |
5. Bio - diversity Conservation (overlapping) Working Circle |