Vegetation play an important role in establishing the eco-balance in the catchments. It is not merely the high growing trees that matter, but the middle level and the ground level vegetation is also significant for establishing the ecological balance. Here we are concerned with the trees, that is the higher level vegetation- the TREES- which had been attracting the immediate attention of the environmentalists.

There had beenself imposed mratorium on green felling of trees since middle of 1980s in this state. Because of this “BAN”, the scientific nurturing and felling of the forests was also hit badly. The real environmentalists have been pointing out that scientific fellings of trees is also an important part of the desired forest growth.

The situation had arisen that very old forests standing in this Hill state have lived their life, and need silvicultural (Scientific Forestry) fellings. The reason being that very old trees do not help in establishing the ecological balance because of their poor and feeling physiological activities. They are virtually heading towards their natural death, and thus they are unable to withstand the natural hazards for themselves and for ecosystems. Much more can be explained in this context. However, our objective here is to explain the system of silvicultural fellings of the trees, and the methodology adopted by the expert foresters in this state.

The elevation in this Hill State varies from 24 metres in the foothills to 6570 metres in the high hills. Such a wide range in altitude results in marked difference in the climatic conditions met with in different parts of the State. As explained earlier, the state also forms the catchment of major rivers like Yamuna, Satluj, Beas, Raavi and Chenab. Total geographical area of the State is 55673 Sq. Km. and the human population around 61 lacs (2001 Census). Total forest area in the State as per legal definition is 37,591 Sq. Km. which is 67.5% of the geographical area. The cultural forest area below tree line 15 only 21315 Sq. Km. and the balance 16276 Sq. Km. is under alpine pastures and permanent snow.

As per forest Survey of India Report 1991, the forest area having crown density above 40% is only 8911 Sq. Km. and the balance area is poorly stocked, degraded and has crown density below 40%. The forest area as per different legal categories is given in the table:

1. Reserved Forests 1,896 Sq. Km.
2. Demarcated Protected Forests 10,358 Sq. Km.
3. Un-demarcated Protected Forests, Un-classed Forests etc. 25,337 Sq. Km.
Total 37,591 Sq. Km.

FOREST WORKING PLANS

Out of the total forest area of 37591 Sq. Km. only 20744 Sq. Km. has been brought under working plans. A working plan document is a means of enforcing systematic, obligatory and mandatory regulations for continuous management of forest property. Working Plans are prepared for every division to have continuity in the management and treatment to be given to the forests whose development particularly depends upon the quality of working plans and various prescriptions proposed, to be undertaken. Working Plan is therefore, of great importance and should clearly enunciate the objective of management. Keeping in view the present policy of the Government.

“Forest Working Plans are usually prepared for each division, describing in detail the summary of basic facts on which the proposals are made and prescribing the methods for future management and detailed prescriptions. Among the summary of facts are descriptions of the tract, configuration of the grounds, geology, rock and soil, climate, rainfall water supply, forest distribution, legal position, forest boundaries rights and concessions, composition of forests, injuries to which crops are liable, details about the utilization of the produce, agricultural customs and requirements of the people, market rate, lines of export, methods and costs of exploitation, and past and current prices of various forest products, The questions of staff and’ labor are discussed, besides past history and system of management and results, specially works of improvement, past revenue and expenditure and statistics of growth and yield relevant to the area. The details of wildlife of the area and their bearing on overall forest resources are also discussed.”

The future management and prescriptions start with the basis of proposals, lay. Down general objects of management, methods of treatment proposed I working circles and their constitution, allotment of area and the period of working plan. For each working circle the general constitution is discussed with special objects of, management, felling series, area statements analysis and valuation of crops, silvicultural system and rotation adopted, regulations of yield, felling cycles method of executing felling, methods of bringing in regeneration, mode of meeting requirements of local people etc. The working plans also include discussions on wildlife, establishment and labor, control and records, financial forecasts, etc.

Having decided on the silvicultural system or systems to be adopted, the compartments or ‘sub-compartments are allotted to the working circle on the basis of stock maps and ‘compartment descriptions. Area, under a working circle is subjected to one and the same silvicultural system and method of treatment and is harvested by distinct series of operations. Area (Sq. Km.) under different working circle is shown in the next table:

1. Deodar and kail working circle 1,478
2. Fir/Spruce working circle 1,071
3. Chill working circle 1,359
4. Oak working circle 191
5. Sal conversion working circle 183
6. Selection working circle 765
7. Protection working circle 8,883
8. Coppice working circle 249
9. Fuel wood working circle 145
10. Bamboo working circle 96
11. Plantation / afforestation working circle 1,564
12. Pasture/grazing working circle 4,283
13. Other regulated areas working circle 477

In Himachal Pradesh clear felling system is not prescribed. The forests are mainly worked under shelter wood system, coppice with standard system etc. The coniferous forests of the state namely chill, deodar, kale, fir and spruce located on moderate slopes are managed under irregular shelter wood system. Under this ‘system, 20 to 50 trees depending upon the type of species are kept per has mother trees. Patches of advance growth are also rationed at the time of regeneration fellings. No fellings are done in the, portions where terrain is steep and precipitous. The forests, which are located on steep and precipitous, are put under protection working circle where on fellings is prescribed.

There are 38 Forest Divisions in the State. 31 working plans because in some cases more than one division is covered by a working plan cover these 38 Divisions. In addition there are cantonment forests for which separate working plan (Schemes) are required to be prepared. Presently, a working plan is normally 2 to 3 years to prepare this document. In this way at least 2 working plans are required to be prepared per year which means 5 to 6 plans should always be under preparation at a particular point of time. For some time in the past this schedule could not be adhered to with the result, the working plan work remained in the arrears and more than twenty working plans had become due for revision in 1992.

The backlog of preparation of expired working plan as so huge those merely posting 4 or 5 working plan officers could not have completed it. Therefore it was decided that some of expired working plans might be entrusted to territorial DFOs ‘for revision. Presently 18 working plans are under different stage of preparation; in six working plans independent working plan officers have been posted and in the remaining 12, DFO (T) of the division has been given the additional charge of WPO.

CONTROL FORMS

To monitor and control the implementation of the prescriptions and provision of the sanctioned working plans as regards fellings regeneration etc. annual control forms consisting of specially prescribed forms showing the prescriptions and suggestions of a sanctioned working plan and works actually carried out against them are maintained. The works of preparation of control forms were very much in the arrears and these have been mostly brought up to-date during the past one and half years. Now the control forms for practically all divisions stand complete up to the year 1992-93.

It is established fact that the regeneration in conifers is possible only when optimum opening is done in the canopy. Therefore green felling in the form of seeding fellings, final felling and thinnings etc., have to be carried out to bring in regeneration and remove congestion in the crops. If this is not done mature crops will fail to regenerate whereas the mature trees will die, decay and disappear in due course of time leaving the area devoid of tree growth. Thus green felling are necessary to facilitate regeneration.

In Himachal Pradesh for the last about more than one hundred years. Thus green felling are necessary to facilitate years, all these operations were being carried out to have well managed forests and sustained yield from them. But during the last about 7-8 years, green felling were done only to meet the requirement of right holders and fruit packing cases in the state. The green felling for the latter purpose were also stopped in 1990, where after in case of conifer only salvage removals and felling to meet the right holders requirements have been, done. During this period heavy felling done for the supply of wood for packing cases ‘in some areas exceeded the described yield and as a result of which systematic regeneration felling could not be carried out. Moreover some of the making plans and their control forms were also in arrears. In view of the position explained above, regeneration fellings also remained in arrears, which resulted in inadequate regeneration and congestion in some of the forests.

No ban on fellings

It is wrong to suggest that the Government of Indian imposed ban on green fellings. It may be mentioned that sometime during 1982, the Government of India only issued guidelines for the preparation of working plans and fellings in forests. Wherein the Government of India had only impressed upon the state Governments to consider banning of all fellings above 1000 m elevation for some years. As per these guidelines, the Government of India also wanted to identify critical areas prone to landslide erosion and geological fragile formations, which require protection and need immediate vigorous afforestation. As a consequence of these guidelines the state Government has already imposed moratorium on fellings in Wild Life Sanctuaries, either side of the National and State highways, rivers and streams, tourist resorts etc. Similarly critical areas are always identified at the time of preparation of Working Plans and no fellings are prescribed in such areas. It is worth mentioning that more than 40% of the area under Working Plan is under rotation working circle. Were no ‘fellings are done. Thus the ban has already been imposed wherever there was a need and it will continue in future also.

A blanket ban on green fellings was never formally imposed in Himachal Pradesh as blanket ban on fellings is not conducive for the regeneration, growth and development of forests and is rather counter productive. But keeping in view the fact that in some cases excess removals were done in the past for supply of wood for packing cases etc. some restrictions were imposed by the CCF HP during 1986 which only required that prior approval for all proposed green fellings were to be obtained from the CCF. The government was also informed of this decision. In 1990 the Principal CCF of HP further clarified the policy on green fellings confirming that there was no ban on green fellings in the state. And all silvicultural fellings were to be carried out in accordance with the prescriptions in the working Plans.

At this stage, it is pertinent to mention that although at no ban on green fellings was imposed either by Government of India or State Government, but in actual practice no green fellings were done for a few years for one reason or the other. Thus lack of essential and timely regeneration fellings resulted in inadequate generation and congestion in some of the forest. This state of affairs has also not been’ appreciated by International Agencies funding various forestry projects in ‘the state. They havealso stressed that silvicultural operation like regeneration fellings and thinning are the prerequisite and the basis for the sound forest management. In the absence o, such operations, the very purpose of preparing forest working plans and forest management is defeated. It is also pertinent to say that the revenue is not at all the objective behind carrying out regeneration fellings and thinning. It is rather the silvicultural considerations of the forest crops.

As much as 8,900 Sq. Km. of’ forest area has been kept under protection working, Circle even where no fellings have been prescribed. In most of the cases non-prescribed yield from thinning are been taken into account against the prescribed yield which have further decreased the permissible removals in the form of main fellings.

After considering all merits and demerits of carrying regeneration fellings as provided in annual Working Plans, it and was felt that the regeneration fellings are necessary for regeneration decided in 1993 development of forests and it was therefore, by he Govt. that green fellings in the form of regeneration fellings and thinning shall be ‘carried out as per prescriptions of the Working Plan of the area and silviculture requirement of the crop. While doing so, total removals in the form of generation fellings, salvage removals & TD markings should not exceed the prescribed yield. The extent of regeneration felling permissible is total prescribed yield minus removals in the form of salvage and TD markings. ‘If the latter equals’ or exceeds the prescribed yield, no regeneration felling shall be done. The instructions are also issued to the field functionaries from time to time that where areas are to be regenerated. Artificially after felling, advance steps to be taken to raise sufficient nursery stock. In case the requisite plantation stock is not available due to any reason, the regeneration fellings shall not be carried out. Besides the various facts as stated above the following considerations are also kept in view for allowing regeneration fellings.

All the Working Plans, which were in arrears, are revised, approved and printed under the programmme and thereby making provisions/prescription slide down in these Plans applicable. The yield being prescribed in the Working plans in 1999 is very much on the conservative side. The annual yield prescribed in all the Working Plans (1999) is 5.49 Lac cu.m. as against 7.22 Lac cu.m. during 1980.

Principally the forest management envisages that annual cut should not exceed the annual increment put on by the forests. The total annual increment put on by important species is about 12.81 Lac cum is only 40% of the annual increment and 60% is being pumped ‘into the growing stock every year.

At the present level, the total removals by way of timber distribution and salvage markings are much less than the overall prescribed yield . There is a potential for carrying out green fellings and the volume so available in the form of regeneration fellings, thinnings etc. will be around 1.5 to 2 lacs cu.m. annually.