Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today called on Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav in New Delhi and urged for formal recognition of 29.5 percent forest and tree cover of Himachal Pradesh in all calculations related to forest, ecology and central allocations.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the discrepancy between the actual tree cover of 29.5 percent and the officially recorded 27.99 percent, attributing the gap to the non-inclusion of Trees Outside Forest (ToF) in the consolidated representation of the State’s forest and tree cover. He stated that despite strict regulatory control exercised by the State over tree harvesting on private lands, Himachal Pradesh does not receive due credit from the Central Government for these conservation efforts.
Emphasizing the ecological significance of Trees Outside Forest, the Chief Minister said that this additional 1.5 percent green cover plays a vital role in conserving biodiversity and preventing ecological degradation in the fragile Himalayan region. He urged that this component be included to reflect the State’s true contribution to forestry and environmental conservation.
The Chief Minister further requested that the 29.5 percent forest and tree cover be recognized for all calculations under the Finance Commission and other central allocations. He asserted that acknowledging the Trees Outside Forest component as a legitimate and policy-relevant contribution would ensure fair assessment of ecosystem services, conservation efforts and environmental governance.
He pointed out that undervaluation of Trees Outside Forest leads to an underestimation of Himachal Pradesh’s contribution to national ecosystem services and creates an unintended bias against States that actively protect trees.
The Chief Minister also briefed the Union Minister about various initiatives undertaken by the State Government to expand forest and tree cover on non-forest and private lands.
Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav assured the Chief Minister of all possible support in this regard.
