Engagement with Laws and Policies on Protected Areas

Kalpavriksh has continued to critically engage with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and has continuously contributed to the various amendments of the Act through engagement with on- ground research. Through its advocacy, it has been instrumental in getting community conserved areas into the National Wildlife Action Plan, and into proposed amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act. With the enactment of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, a new paradigm for conservation governance in protected areas emerged and Kalpavriksh has been lobbying for its provisions to be implemented in letter and spirit in Protected Areas since. It has also initiated the Future of Conservation (FoC) network in 2004 within India. FoC is a network of organizations and individuals committed to effective and equitable conservation of biodiversity. It was born out of a consultation in 2006, to find a way out of vitriolic debates on conservation following the introduction of the report presented by the Tiger Task Force and the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005 (See report of the consultation here). FoC's objective is to foster dialogue and engagement in complex conservation issues, and help tackle the increasing threats that both biodiversity and people's livelihoods face. This includes joint action on areas of agreement, and attempts at evolving common understanding on issues where there are differences. Statement of the FOC.

  1. Comments on the 2002 Amendment to the WLPA (January 2003)
  2. Letter to A Raja (MoEF) on Amendments to be made in the WLPA on recommendations of the Tiger Task Force (2006)
  3. Proposed Guidelines on Identification of Critical Tiger Habitats, Coexistence and Relocation related to Tiger Reserves (In pursuance of the WLPA amendment of 2006)
  4. Letter to J Ramesh (MoEF) on Amendments to the Wildlife Act (2009) 
  5. Submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, Environment and Forests WLPA Amendments 2013
  6. Working Note on Chronology of drafting and implementation of the Critical Wildlife Habitat Process
  7. Comments on the Draft Wild Life Protection (Amendment) Bill 2021
  1. Comments on ‘Draft Protocol /Guidelines for Voluntary Village Relocation in Notified Core/Critical Tiger Habitats of Tiger Reserves (FOC, 2011)
  2. Open letter to J Natarajan (MoEF) to stop disbursal of funds for relocation from Protected Areas till democratic process is established (2013)
  1. Note on the ban on Non-Timber Forest Produce Collection in Protected Areas due to erroneous interpretation of Supreme Court Order (2007) 
  2.  Petition to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs against NTCA order preventing recognition of rights under FRA in Tiger Reserves (April 2017). 
  3. Petition to the MoEFCC regarding an advisory for the containment and management of Covid 19 in National Parks/ Sanctuaries/ Tiger Reserves 2020
  1. Comments on guidelines on Critical Wildlife Habitat under FRA issued by the MoEF in November 2007 
  2. Proposed guidelines by FOC in December 2007
  3. Press Statement on PMs letter to states on Critical Wildlife Habitat (January 2008) 
  4. Recommendations on Critical Wildlife Habitat and Critical Wildife Habitat in a National Consultation organised by the Centre for Ecological Studies, IISC; Karnataka State Forest Department and FOC (May 2008)
  5. 2nd National Consultation organised by FOC on Critical Wildlife Habitat (August 2009) 
  6. Comments on the revised guidelines on Critical Wildlife Habitat under the FRA issued by MoEF (28 February 2011). 
  7. Comments on the Guidelines on Critical Wildlife Habitat 2018
  8. Critical Wildlife Habitat: What is it, how should it be implemented, and how is it being pushed through? 2020
  9. Critical Wildlife Habitat: What is it, how should it be implemented, and how is it being pushed through? 2020 (Hindi)
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