<p> A government order (B1/BUD/CR-13/2010-11) to this effect was passed on Monday.<br />Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Forest Minister C H Vijayshankar said the order would be implemented within three months.<br /><br />Growing eucalyptus will be allowed only in artificial regeneration model and in moderately fertile areas in dry zones and eroded and rocky areas in transitional zones along with species like glyricidia, cassia, siamea, pongamia, neem and cashew.<br /><br />Eucalyptus planting could be taken up also in the joint forest planning and management (JFPM) areas as a means for providing firewood, poles and small timber and for generating income for village forest committees.<br /><br />He said barring the above-mentioned zones and JFPM areas, eucalyptus will not be planted on any government land. The genus will be replaced by varieties that are both ecologically sustainable and commercially viable.<br /><br />The government is contemplating inviting forest-based industries to grow sustainable plants and trees in such tracts, he said. A similar order restricting cultivation of acacia will be passed in a week. Cultivation of acacia will be banned in coastal, the Malnad and semi-Malnad regions, he said.<br /><br />Vijayshankar said forests (named Devavana) will be developed in pilgrim places that attract an average of 1,000 visitors daily. Heritage trees, medicinal and aromatic plants will be cultivated there. <br /><br />A nursery will be also developed adjacent to the “Devavanas” from where tourists can buy saplings. Tree parks on the lines of Cubbon Park will be developed in all the districts of the State. Four such green zones will come up in Bangalore, he said.<br /><br />Elephant training<br /><br />The government also plans to set up an elephant training centre in Hassan shortly, the minister said. There are 25-30 wild elephants in the Hemavathi backwaters region which are frequently straying into villages in search of food. The pachyderms will be caught, trained and used for occasions like Dasara, he said.<br /><br />Monthly magazine<br /><br />Vijayshankar said the forest department would appoint surveyors, besides bringing out a monthly magazine, ‘Aranya Mitra,’ to sensitise people about forest policies and laws.<br />Priority will be accorded to greening non-forest areas like canals and tank bunds. <br /><br />He said a Karnataka regional forest policy would be announced shortly and reports submitted by six expert committees in this regard were being studied.</p>
<p> A government order (B1/BUD/CR-13/2010-11) to this effect was passed on Monday.<br />Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Forest Minister C H Vijayshankar said the order would be implemented within three months.<br /><br />Growing eucalyptus will be allowed only in artificial regeneration model and in moderately fertile areas in dry zones and eroded and rocky areas in transitional zones along with species like glyricidia, cassia, siamea, pongamia, neem and cashew.<br /><br />Eucalyptus planting could be taken up also in the joint forest planning and management (JFPM) areas as a means for providing firewood, poles and small timber and for generating income for village forest committees.<br /><br />He said barring the above-mentioned zones and JFPM areas, eucalyptus will not be planted on any government land. The genus will be replaced by varieties that are both ecologically sustainable and commercially viable.<br /><br />The government is contemplating inviting forest-based industries to grow sustainable plants and trees in such tracts, he said. A similar order restricting cultivation of acacia will be passed in a week. Cultivation of acacia will be banned in coastal, the Malnad and semi-Malnad regions, he said.<br /><br />Vijayshankar said forests (named Devavana) will be developed in pilgrim places that attract an average of 1,000 visitors daily. Heritage trees, medicinal and aromatic plants will be cultivated there. <br /><br />A nursery will be also developed adjacent to the “Devavanas” from where tourists can buy saplings. Tree parks on the lines of Cubbon Park will be developed in all the districts of the State. Four such green zones will come up in Bangalore, he said.<br /><br />Elephant training<br /><br />The government also plans to set up an elephant training centre in Hassan shortly, the minister said. There are 25-30 wild elephants in the Hemavathi backwaters region which are frequently straying into villages in search of food. The pachyderms will be caught, trained and used for occasions like Dasara, he said.<br /><br />Monthly magazine<br /><br />Vijayshankar said the forest department would appoint surveyors, besides bringing out a monthly magazine, ‘Aranya Mitra,’ to sensitise people about forest policies and laws.<br />Priority will be accorded to greening non-forest areas like canals and tank bunds. <br /><br />He said a Karnataka regional forest policy would be announced shortly and reports submitted by six expert committees in this regard were being studied.</p>
