Green cover falls in state.

TNN Feb 9, 2012, 05.19AM IST
Ahmedabad/SURAT: The green cover in the state has declined by 554 sq km. This was revealed on Wednesday in the report of the Forest Survey of India.
The forest cover (sanctuaries and protected area) recorded a nominal decline of just one sq km while the trees outside the forest area recorded a decrease of 553 sq km. Additional principal chief conservator of forest, social forestry, H S Singh, said, "The data released in the report 2011 is for the year 2008-09.
The fall in the forest cover and that of the tree cover was because of the cutting of gando baval (prosopis juliflora) in several parts of the state. This along with the cutting of trees in private land was the main reason for the decrease."
The report released on Wednesday reveals that Gujarat has a green cover of 22,456 sq km against 23,010 sq km in 2009. The report said the forest cover in the state was 14,619 sq km which was 7.46 per cent of the state geographical area. However, there is a major decline in the tree cover, that is trees outside the forest area. Forest officials said the decline in tree cover is attributed to large-scale tree cutting in various parts of the state for development projects.
The officer said, "For the road widening project on Ahmedabad-Nalsarovar road the forest department had given permission to cut over 2,500 trees." A senior official, refusing to be named, said, "The Supreme Court has in one of the orders said that the state government should have 10 km area as eco sensitive zones to protect the ecology of the area, but Gujarat government is yet to declare such a zone in several sanctuaries, including Nalsarovar."
Surat sees largest rise in forest cover
Interestingly, the Surat district has recorded the largest increase in the forest cover in the state. Forest officials in Surat give credit to various afforestation programmes for the rise in green cover of the area. National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Gujarat Forestry Development Project (GFDP) phase II are the two major projects under which maximum plantation has been carried out in the area. "The afforestation programmes like NAP and GFDP are running since last few years which resulted in the rise in number of trees in the area. The joint forest management committee run by the forest department and locals is one of the major factors for rise in green cover and reduction in tree felling," said Anil Vasava, deputy conservator of forest, Surat.
State lacks forest policy
Gujarat, which has four national parks and 22 sanctuaries, lacks its own forest policy. Even the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report had pointed out that the national forest commission had recommended that each state should have its heir own forest policy within the broad parameters of the national forest policy 1988. But such policy is missing. The forest policy is for management of the forest in the states. The policy is to address issues pertaining to conserving natural forests among others.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-09/ahmedabad/31041152_1_forest-policy-state-geographical-area-forest-officials