Working Groups/Task Force for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)

Forests for the Environment and Forests Sector

Dated 21st March, 2006

II. Terms of Reference of the Working Group will be as follows:

1. Based on a performance appraisal of the tenth Five Year Plan of the Ministry of E and F, evolve an effective policy and programmatic approach for forestry sector for the Eleventh Five Year Plan taking into account the existing institutional, legislative, regulatory and enforcement structures. Forestry and wildlife being a concurrent subject, the group may propose policy and administrative measure to ensure that the centrally sponsored programmes of the sector effectively result in the desired focus on the policy priorities in the states.
2. Assess the possibility of attaining one third of the land area of the country under green cover and suggest appropriate measures including revival of social forestry through local self governments for optimum production of biomass on the underutilized land resources outside forests, integrated with livelihood and community management.
3. Examine ways of creating positive incentives for sustainable management and regeneration of forest resources through payment of service charges to the local communities following the Costa Rica model for payment of service charges for watershed conservation services.
4. Policy and programmatic interventions for enabling environment for providing desirable impetus to facilitating markets as the motivating factor for development of agro forestry and farm forestry.
5. Appraisal of the participatory forest management approach and recommend ways to consolidate the regime in order to generate empowered commitment among stakeholders for conservation and protection of forests. This may include integration of local self governments, community institutions and delivery mechanisms through instruments of empowerment like PESA, the provisions for functioning of Biodiversity Management Committees under the Biological Diversity Act and the Right to Information Act
6. To make recommendations for optimizing the symbiotic relationship between forest dwellers and forest by promoting efficient and quality value addition for realization of gainful employment opportunities through development and sustainable use of medicinal plants, bamboo and canes and other Non-timber forest produce (NTFP) by tribals and other forest dweller communities.
7. Policy prescriptions for integrating the forestry with all natural resource development and human development programmes to evolve a landscape approach for development planning in forest fringes.
8. Capacity building for Management Planning for conservation and development of forests on the principles of ecology, economics, social and gender equity, energy conservation, employment generation and social auditing.
9. Optimizing productivity of forests, reducing demand and supply imbalances, rationalizing export and import regulations for improving opportunities for marketing of wood and other forest produce.
10. Technological and manpower requirements for forest protection against forest fires and illegal activities including encroachments and poaching.
11. Innovative ways for augmenting flow of resources into the sector.
12. To recommend a portfolio of schemes, corresponding physical targets, measurable objectives and financial requirements for the sector adopting the concept of zero-based budget.
13. To make recommendations regarding required administration reforms, adequacy of outlays, management of available resources like Compensatory Afforestation Funds, Forest Development Funds etc. and mobilization of requisite financial resources for fulfillment of various goals and objectives set for the sector.
14. To include any other issue, which the working group considers important.
15. Official members of the Working Group will be paid TA/DA by their respective Departments as per the rules of entitlement applicable to them. The non-official members will be paid TA/DA by the Planning Commission as per SR 190 (a) for attending meetings of the Working Group.
16. The Working Group will submit its report to the Planning Commission by 31.10.2006.      g S"3£
17. Shri M. Ravindranath, Joint Adviser (E and F), Room No. 301, Yojana Bhavan ( Tel No. 2309^5) will be the Nodal Officer for this Working Group for all further communications.