Centre urged to frame policy on sandalwood, red sanders

Special Correspondent States call for addressing problem of protecting sandalwood forests Bangalore: Kerala Minister for Forests and Housing Binoy Viswam has said that though the Centre is reportedly making efforts to form a national strategy and evolve consensus among those concerned for protecting sandalwood forests, the long-pending common policy on sandalwood and red sanders has become imperative for protecting the remaining sandalwood forest tracts across the Southern States. Mr. Viswam was addressing the concluding session of a two-day conference of Forest Ministers of Southern States here on Friday. The conference was a sequel to a two-day conference of Forest Researchers and Scientists of Southern State held on September 18 and 19 here. The common and pressing problem of the States concerned in ensuring the protection of sandalwood forests should be addressed on priority, he said. In that context and in view of ensuring overall protection of its forest areas and forest wealth, the Kerala Government had evolved a draft forest policy in consultation with environmentalists and the stakeholders concerned and it would be finalised shortly, he added. The Government had formed a separate forest division for sandalwood protection at Marayur, which had 55,497 sandalwood trees as on January 2007. After taking stringent measures, the rate of illegal felling of sandalwood tree had come down from 7.3 trees a day to 0.21 trees a day. Owing to the measures all the illegal sandalwood factories had been closed across the State, he claimed. His Government had submitted a five-year master plan estimated at Rs. 35 crore to the Centre for protecting its sandalwood wealth worth over Rs. 1,000 crore, the Minister said. The Kerala Government had liberalised felling and transit rules ensuring that indiscriminate felling should not take place in private areas. It had enacted the Kerala Forest Promotion of tree growth in Non-Forest Areas Act 2005 and brought in amendments to it in 2007, he added .......................... full news item at: http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/22/stories/2007092253580400.htm