Forest Department has made some changes in Maharashtra Forest Manual to understand the technical differences between Reserved Forest (RF), Protected Forest (PF), Wildlife Sanctuary, National Parks, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves for their field staff. Normally, the technical differences are difficult to understand for the field staff of Forest Department and the new changes will help to understand it in a better way.

 

In normal circumstances in Reserved Forests, all activities are prohibited unless permitted by the department and in Protected Forests all activities are permitted unless prohibited. Such definitions in the Manual create confusion among employees and it also affects their everyday working. Keeping this in mind, Forest Department has made some changes including; Forest land and waste land that are property of Government of Maharashtra will now come under Reserved Forest while land that does not come under Reserved Forest but the property of the government will be treated as Protected Forest.

 

Under Section 26(1)(f) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, felling of any tree in Reserved Forest is a crime. Similarly, cutting of trees in Protected Forest will now be a crime under Section 30 (a) of Indian Forest Act, 1927 and other will not be. Cleaning and digging of land that comes under section 26(1)(h) in Reserve Forest is crime while any such activity in restricted area in Protected Forest will now be a crime under 30(b). However, people can do any land-based activities in non-restricted areas. Similarly, Forest Department has also made some changes for Wildlife Sanctuary, National Parks, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves in their Manual for better understanding by their ground staff. Sanjeev Gaur, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest issued a press release and stated these changes in the Forest Manual.