HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, March 19: The first-ever Nagaland forest officers conference since Nagaland attained statehood in 1963 called for community participation through joint forest management at Chumoukedima police complex on Thursday.
Forest officials from across the state gathered at the conference to deliberate on key issues concerning forest management and environmental conservation.
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The conference underscored the unique challenges faced by the state, particularly its complex landholding system, where the department directly controls less than 5% of the land.
Despite this limitation, the officers of the department were urged to act as “custodians and soldiers” of the environment.
Key focus areas included forest management, biodiversity conservation, soil and water protection and the urgent need to adopt modern tools such as GIS for data-driven decision-making.
Officers were asked to engage directly with communities, promote awareness and implement scientific practices in forestry.
Speaking at the programme as the special guest, environment, forest & climate change CL John underscored the government’s commitment to environmental protection and the need for innovative approaches to tackle emerging challenges in forest conservation and climate change.
He highlighted a range of pressing issues, including human-elephant conflict, hunting and forest conservation, while calling for urgent and coordinated action.
He also raised concerns over indiscriminate tree felling and asked the forest department to strengthen monitoring and regulation of forest resources.
In addition, John proposed proactive measures such as promoting plantation drives, suggesting that Anwar plantation be undertaken in lowland areas to enhance green cover and restore ecological balance.
On environmental degradation, he strongly called for an end to forest burning practices, urging both the public and authorities to act responsibly.
Noting that hunting is a major threat to biodiversity, John termed it as one of the most dangerous issues facing the state and called for stricter enforcement and a complete ban.
He stressed that the forest department must take greater accountability in preventing such activities and safeguarding forest ecosystems. He underscored the importance of public awareness and education, advocating for initiatives to teach communities how to protect and conserve forests effectively.
