Forestry development strategies followed in the past have been ineffective in reducing deforestation and forest degradation. This is due to relentless pressure on account of ever-increasing demand for fuel, fodder, timber, etc. Inadequacy of protection measures has also resulted in illegal, unregulated fellings and encroachment in the forest areas. The dwindling of forest resources has resulted in hardship to those living in poverty who are dependent on forest resources for their livelihood, besides detrimental environment impact, as well as scarcity and high prices for commercial forest goods.

The present degradation of the forests in the State has to be arrested by a future strategy for ecological balance, preserving biological diversity and genetic resource, and to meet the requirements of the local people for various forest produce, as well as of society at large for traded forest-based goods on a sustainable basis.

Policy Strategy
The future forestry policy of the State envisages the following reforms in important areas of the forest sector.

A. Forestry Administration
1. The forestry administration would concentrate on high priority areas where it has a comparative advantage of unique mandate, and divest itself from activities that can be more efficiently performed by other groups, including local populations, NGOs and private industry, or enter into partnership with these. This will result in better management and utilization of available forest resources.
2. Where forests are under pressure by local communities for their livelihood, they will be managed for better production and conservation by participatory management through introduction of Joint Forest Management. The local communities together with the concerned Governmental and Non-Governmental organisations will be involved for implementation of Joint Forest Management Plans.
3. The forest administration will be streamlined and a new orientation will be given based on intense local participation in forest management, on the one hand, and realistic and flexible planning and implementation of forest activities supported by modern information technology and increased possibilities for specialization and permanence of staff, on the other. Regular financing for appropriate maintenance of forestry investments would be ensured.

B. Technology:
4. A need-based, production-orientation research programme, concentrating on a limited number of important forest species, will be promoted in support of vigorous program of upgrading nursery, planting and silvicultural technologies in order to achieve higher forest productivity.
5. Modern planning and monitoring tools, such as MIS and GIS, will be introduced throughout the forestry administration for meeting the changing needs of forestry.

C. Forestry Policy
6. Private investment in the production of better quality seedlings and in afforestation of wastelands will be encouraged and facilitated. The needs of the wood-based industries will be met through high-yield afforestation program to be taken up by the Forest Development Corporation alone or in co-operation with the industries. Rules governing timber transport will be suitably modified to encourage private participation in afforestation primarily through farm forestry.
7. Suitable measures will be initiated to control grazing, such as encouraging stall-feeding, upgrading of cattle breed and opening areas for grazing in a cyclical fashion, thus ensuring conditions propitious for natural regeneration and at the same time meeting the needs of local people.
8. The economic situation of the tribal population will be improved through concomitant inputs aimed at higher agricultural production and non-agricultural income by promoting availability of non-timber forest products.