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WILDLIFE
FIRST CAMPAIGNS
Other
Major Initiatives, Endeavors
Removal of dead and
fallen timber stopped
The
old growth adapted animal and bird community includes several
species of woodpeckers, barbets, hornbills, parakeets, tree civets,
flying squirrels. All these species depend on dead, dying and
fallen trees for food and shelter. The ecological importance of
these species is crucial to the survival of forest since they
are seed and pollen dispersers, regulators of insect pests and
borers for a wide range of co-adapted plant species. Scientific
studies suggest that the long term effect of such fellings and
extractions on natural forest structure, composition and dynamics
is extremely negative.
The
plan by the Karnataka state government to harvest dead and fallen
trees from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in February
2000 was successfully opposed by Wildlife First and all its conservation
partners. Based on the material provided by Wildlife First, an
interlocutory application was filed by PK Manohar of Legal Action
for Wildlife and Environment (LAW-E) through the Amicus
curiae in writ petition 202/95. The Supreme Court of India
issued interim orders stopping the removal of dead, wind fallen,
diseased and dying trees including grass from all wildlife reserves
in India again resulting in a major conservation victory.
In
an earlier effort to stop timber logging in wildlife reserves,
Wildlife First along with its conservation partners had successfully
campaigned against the Karnataka forest department’s plan to remove
timber from six wildlife reserves in 1994.
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Roads
open up forests to illegal activities |
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Roads in Pushpagiri, Kuduremukh
reserves halted
Disregarding
all norms and in violation of the law, a 13 km road was being
built illegally by local planters through Pushpagiri Wildlife
Sanctuary in 1996. This sanctuary, which is considered one of
the richest tropical evergreen forests in the state, would have
been devastated if the road had indeed been completed preparing
the ground for poaching, smuggling, encroachment and other illegal
activities. Timely intervention by Wildlife First with the state
forest minister, chief secretary and the media stopped the road
being built through the reserve.
Concerted efforts have been
made to change the proposal seeking upgradation of an existing
public road to a National Highway through the Kudremukh National
Park. Wildlife First and Kudremukh Wildlife Foundation intervened
by writing to the Director of Wildlife, Government of India and
the Chief Wildlife Warden, Karnataka, suggesting an alternative
route for the diversion of the highway. This effort ensured that
the Ministry of Surface Transport agreed to revise the alignment
of the proposed National Highway to avoid its passage through
Kudremukh National Park.
Other campaigns:
>> Influencing
policy and advocacy
>> Training
and capacity building
>> Protection
and care of protectors
>>
Public opinion
and outreach
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