Draft rules to ease tree felling on agricultural land and boost agroforestry:

Context

In a letter sent to all state governments, the environment ministry said the objective of 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands' is to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivise farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems.

Key Features of Model Rules:

Governing Body: State Level Committee (SLC) under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016.
- Includes officials from the revenue and agriculture departments.
- Advises state governments on promoting agroforestry and simplifying rules for felling and transit of trees, especially commercially valuable species.
- Empanel agencies for verification of applications and timber transit.
Registration and Application Process:
- Platform: National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal.
- Land Registration: Applicants must register plantation land with details of ownership and location.
- Provide plantation details: Number of saplings by species, planting date (month and year), and average seedling height.
- Regular updates are required as per SLC guidelines.
- For lands with more than 10 trees, the applicant must apply online through the NTMS. For application for felling of up to 10 trees, applicants need to upload trees' photos to the NTMS.
Divisional forest officers will monitor how verifying agencies are functioning.
They will submit a report every quarter to the SLC on the performance of these agencies.