Projects

Participatory Forest Management

This was taken up under the KFP as a pilot programme for introducing the concept of forest management through the involvement of people in about 86 sites throughout Kerala. Since this was a new concept being implemented by the KFD for the first time, it took more than three years to chalkout detailed modalities and guidelines for implementation of the activities in the field after thorough consultative process involving the various NGOs, representatives of panchayats, the allied departments of the Government, the employees of the KFD and other stakeholder people. Now this concept of participation by the people in the forest management has got mainstreamed in the working of the KFD.

India Eco-development Project

India Eco-development Project is being implemented in Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR). It is a project financed jointly by IDA, UNDP, Government of India and Government of Kerala. The project envisages the management of the Periyar Tiger Reserve embracing the principles of participatory approach with local communities.

The total project outlay is Rs. 40 crores .

Project Objectives

The project objectives are:

1. to improve capacity for Protected Area (PA) management, to conserve biodiversity and to increase opportunities for local participation in PA management activities and decisions,

2. to reduce negative impacts of local people on bio-diversity, reduce negative impacts of PA on local people, and increase collaboration of local people in conservation efforts,

3. to develop more effective and extensive support for development, and

4. to prepare future biodiversity progress.

Components of the Project

The project has the following components

1. Improved PA management

2. Village Eco-development

3. Develop effective and extensive support for Eco-development

4. Project management

Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Sanjeevini Vanam – A programme for awareness creation for promotion of cultivation of medicinal plants in Kerala

Objectives

1. To create proper awareness about cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants in the homesteads of Kerala.

2. Establish a network of ex-situ conservation plot for demonstration purposes so that the farmers will be able to understand and appreciate the characteristics of different varieties of popularly used medicinal plants.

3. To make available enough planting stock for enterprising farmers who come forward for cultivation of medicinal plants.

Project Components

1. Establishment of Ex-situ conservation plots for demonstration 

2. Organising awareness camp
   
   i) The stakeholders such as small farmers, nursery owners, woman self-help groups, panchayat representatives, etc., will be given exposure through awareness on various aspects of medicinal plants such as values, cultivation, processing and marketing
    
   ii) Special awareness camps will be undertaken among school and college students through the Forestry Clubs

     c. Production of extension materials such as leaflets, brochures, posters, handbook on nursery techniques,  processing and  marketing, etc.. 

     d.  Productions of seedlings of important medicinal plants / propogules 

Project for development and propagation of non-traditional oil-seed tree species in Kerala State

Objectives

To raise good quality seedlings of oil seed tree species of Kokum, Mango and Neem during Tenth Five-Year Plan period from 2002-2007, for planting in the homesteads, farmlands, wastelands and other degraded lands with Government and Reserve Forests with an aim to increase the productivity of the non-traditional oil seeds in the State.

Species proposed

The proposed oil seed tree species are Kodampuli, the Kerala version of Kokum (Garcenia gummigutta), Mango (Magifera indica) and Neem (Azadirachta indica).

Method of raising seedlings

1 lakh good seedlings of Kokum, Mango and Neem would be raised in each District using good quality seeds. 20% of seedlings are proposed to be grafted by the Department under the technical advice of Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore and TBGRI, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram. 

Distribution of Seedlings

Every year out of the production of 1 lakh seedlings in each district, 0.50 lakhs will be distributed for planting in homesteads and private farm lands and the balance will be utilised for planting.

State Schemes

Compensatory Afforestation Scheme

As per GO(MS) 11/94/F&WLD dated 17-03-1994, this project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs.113 crores to be implemented within a period of 10 years starting from 1993-94. The objectives of the scheme is afforestation of 57,180 ha of forest land in lieu of 26,588 ha lost by way of encroachment prior to 01-01-1977, which is a pre-condition for obtaining Government of India clearance for issuing patta to the encroached land. Though the programme of compensatory afforestation was scheduled to commence from 1993-94, it could take off only from 1994-95. As per the approved project, treatment and afforestation of 57,180 ha of degraded forests had to be completed by 1998-99 and the areas maintained for another 5 years till 2002-03. But the treatment and afforestation of the entire area could not be completed as expected by 1998-99 and even at the end of 2001-02, due to various unexpected  administrative and technical constraints. The progress of both physical and financial so far achieved till 2001-02 are shown below:

Year	Target		Achievement
	Physical (Planting area)	Financial (Rs.in lakhs)	Physical (Planting area)	Financial (Rs.in lakhs)
1993-94	7180	1000.00	--	--
1994-95	10000	1224.08	1232.86	395
1995-96	10000	1407.78	9894.56	760
1996-97	10000	1673.39	10975.03	647
1997-98	10000	1937.30	671.63	804
1998-99	10000	1460.89	11766.18	996
1999-00	--	1134.53	3252.93	749
2000-01	--	813.39	2688.10	838
2001-02	--	428.92	1479.25	791
2002-03	--	225.63	237.45	--
Total	57180	11305.91	42197.99	5980