Redefining the Role of Working Plan for Managing India's forests in the 21st Century

In India, forests have been managed on scientific basis since 1865 and Forest Working Plans have been the basis of forest management. But over the years scientific management lost their sanctity and adhoc management decisions have overridden the silvicultural treatments to be given to the forests. The recent developments in forest management and other related fields has made it impossible to consider management of forests in isolation of others. This has necessitated a need for widening the scope of the Working Plans. The existing system of preparing Working Plan has been analysed critically and the role of Working Plan in managing the forests by incorporating new changes redefined.