LAND CONSERVATION TRUST (LCT) PROPOSAL

Introduction
The Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in north-western Maharashtra state in India, about 70 km from the city of Nagpur. The park is spread over an area of 758 kms square including the tiger reserve. 10% area of the park is in Maharashtra and rest 90% of area is in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh. The park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills is named after Pench river which flows from north to south through the Park. On average 1,00,000 tourists visits this park per annually Area: Core : 292.85 sq. km. Buffer : 465.00 sq. km.( 156.542 sanctuary and 308.508 Protected and reserve forests). Total : 757.85 sq. km. Problem and Need: Too many forests are being asked to supply more than they can sustain over the long term. They need to be managed in a way that can meet todays needs, while protecting and restoring their ecological integrity and production capacity for future generations. One cannot save endangered species unless you save the whole ecosystem. And to save an ecosystem, you need to save the land (* World Land Trust) MISSION To achieve species, habitat and ecosystem conservation through purchasing land in and around tiger reserves and using forest management techniques to help restore forests and wildlife. VISION Acquire enough land to create new national parks as they attract visitors and boost local economy in an environmental sensible way. MAIN OBJECTIVES 1. Strengthen biodiversity planning 2. Reduce land degradation and habitat destruction by the promotion of effective land management and conservation planning to promote sustainability through eco-tourism 3. To educate and engage local governments, rural communities and urban masses on the importance of conservation of natural resources. 4. The need to work cooperatively with private landowners to influence the conservation of natural resources across the majority of the state 5. Strengthen corridors between reserves in Central India (Kanha, Melghat, Bandhavgarh, Tadoba Andhari). A TENTATIVE TIMELINE Page 1

2011 AS Final Draft Early Review development planning

2011 ON

2011 Dec

*permission for acquiring land, property laws, and other such relevant details will be acquired simultaneously.

PROPOSAL FRAME 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Summary on the reserve habitat/ statistics/ severity of threat, scope of improvement Goals and Objectives Threats and Issues Conservation solutions and strategies Method of Implementation and Management Monitoring: current status vs target status Partners, reports, charts, diagrams, flora fauna information Future growth strategy

CONSERVATION STRATEGIES 1. Conservation easement: an effective legal agreement that permanently protects the forest property. This agreement is voluntarily placed to help realize a forest owners goal to restrict development, protect significant environmental resources and support sustainable economic uses 2. Community Forest User Groups- where the government progressively turns over management responsibilities to groups of local people. An incentive strategy that involves developing independent relationship between the biodiversity and surrounding people. Impoverishment due to deforestation has encouraged many rural communities to start managing state-owned forests on their own. These self-initiated efforts have proved quite effective at regenerating forests

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3. A global initiative: Social networking that educates key audiences. An outreach program that helps increase appreciation for wildlife related issues and inspire people to take action towards protecting the local environment. Donation through a website to buy an acre of land that will be purchased and protected in perpetuity. Magazine membership fees. 4. Eco tourism: placing an economic value on conservation and wilderness land and ensuring that the locals will benefit from these activities. The best sustainable model available. 5. Sale ofcarbon credits: customers for verified emissions reductions or companies seeking to comply with greenhouse gas reduction regulations. 6. Land Management: a stewardship program that can enhance the effective size of existing preserve or land-holdings by promoting habitat management on surrounding private lands. (pvt landowners can get tax benefits, technical assistance, direct funding for conservation) 7. Improve management for wildlife on existing public land- This involves hiring staff who are knowledgeable about wildlife and habitat management and who are cognizant of managing the natural resources of the parks. 8. Expand technical guidance to developers to promote site design techniques that minimize impacts and maximize benefits to wildlife and habitat (e.g., urban development projects, roads,etc). Innovative well-designed projects at carefully selected protected area sites that constructively address local people- park relationships will be essential to the conservation of biodiversity, and thus to sustainable development 9. A Habitat Action Plan needs to be charted out with biologists, environmentalists, specialists with respect to areas that are under high threat to areas of low threat. Part by part forest management and habitat restoration is needed. CHALLENGES Environmental activists and the rural communities have been skeptical about the intentions of the government in sharing powers with the people, especially in the forest sector as it is one of the revenue-generating sectors. Its an established fact that measures designed to conserve biodiversity must provide economic incentives to increase the net local benefits from conservation and sustainable resource use.

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