The Rise of Commercial Forestry


Forest Society and Colonialism I - Concepts
Class - 9th Foundation NTSE Subjects
 
 
Concept Explanation
 

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

THE RISE OF COMMERCIAL FORESTRY: 

  • The British government was worried about the use of forests by local people and felling of trees by the contractors carelessly. These activities destroyed the forests rapidly.
  • So, the British Government appointed a German expert, Dietrich Brandis as the first Inspector-General of Forests in India. He realized that a proper system had to be introduced to manage the forests and people had to be trained in the science of conservation.
  • Rules about the use of forest resources had to be framed. Felling of trees and grazing had to be restricted, so that forests could be preserved for timber production. Anybody who cut trees without following the system had to be punished. All these efforts of Brandis, gave rise to Indian Forest Act, 1865.
  • Indian Forest Act, 1865:

  • Dietrich Brandis set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864 and helped formulate the Indian Forest Act of 1865. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in 1906. It was first forestry school to be inaugurated in British Empire.
  • The -system they taught here was called Scientific Forestry.
  • In scientific forestry, natural forests which had lots of different types of trees were cut down and in their place, one type of trees was planted in straight rows. This is known as plantation. For example, cultivation of poplar trees which are good for timber.
  • Forest officials surveyed the forests and made working plans for forest management. They planned how much of the plantation area is to be cut every year. The cleared area was then to be replanted so that it would be ready to cut again in some years.
  • The Forest Act of 1865, was amended twice, once in 1878 and then in 1927. These were the forests which produced commercially valuable timber. No Pastoralist was allowed to access these forests.
  • The Indian Forest Act, 1878, divided forests into three categories, viz reserved, protected and village forests.

  • Reserved forests: The best forests were called reserved forests. Villagers could not enter in these forests.
  • Protected forests: Villagers could not anything from these, even for their own use. They could enter in these forests with permission.
  • Village forests: Villagers were dissatisfied with forest act. They were now forced to steal wood from the forests. If they were caught they were punished.
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