1 Proceedings of His Honor the Liautenant-Governor of the Punjab, in the Department of Agriculture, Revenue
2 and Commerce (Iorests),—No. 374)., dated 8th October 1872.
3 Rrap—
4 Report on Forest Administration for the year 1871-72, furnished by Badon Powell, Esq., Offy.
5 Conservator of Forests, Punjab,—received lat Octuber 1872.
6 Remarks.—Satisfactory progress was made in bringing the State Forests
7 throughout the Province under proper management. In Hazara, the forests on
8 the Dangagalli range of hills between Murree and Abbottabad, and the valuable
9 fuel tracts in the vicinity of the town and cantonment of Réwalpindi, known as
10 the Khanptr rakhs, were demarcated, and have been transferred to the control
11 of the Forest Department. Inthe Rawalpindi District the more important forests
12 and woodlands have been made over tothe Forest Department, anda set of
13 rules for their better management has been prepared and is awaiting the sanction
14 of the Government of India. In Kangra, the selection and reservation of forest
15 tracts inthe Nurpur tahs{l was carried out on the same system which was
16 worked with marked success in the previous year in Hoshiarpur, and the
17 Lieutenant-Governor has sanctioned the extension of this system to the Forests
18 of the Dehra and Hamirpur tahsils, In all cases where the work of demarca-
19 tion and reservation of forest tracts has been effected, His Honor has satisfied
20 himself that the wants of the people in regard to fuel and grazing have been duly
21 provided for,
22 2. Progress has also been made in transferring to the Forest Department
23 such portions of the rakhs in che Cis- Indus Districts as it can effectively control.
24 An explanation will be called for from the local authorities with regard to the
25 delay on their part in completing the arrangements for the transfer of the Kachhi
26 Forest, which is noticed in paras. 57-59 of the Conservator’s report.
27 8. The management of the valuable forests which are leased from the
28 Chamba State has been placed on a sound footing under the operation of the
29 new lease and set of rules, which have.received the sanction of the Government
30 of India, and have been finally executed.
31 4. With reference to the remarks in paras. 83 and following of the
32 Conservator’s report, the Lieutenant-Governor is quité ready to take into con-
33 sideration any definite proposals on the subject of a survey and working plan
34 for the Bassahir Forests which may be submitted to him.
35 5. The subordinate controlling staff of the Forest Department in the
36 Punjab has been recently revised, the Supreme Government having sanctioned
37 the conversion of the first grade Forest Rangers into Sub-Assistant. Conservators,
38 whereby these Officers are rendered eligible for promotion to the grade of
39 Assistant Conservator.
40 6. The Conservator has again urged the necessity of investing forest divi-
41 sional officers generally with magisterial powers. His Honor sees, however, no
42 reason for altering his view on this subject, which were expressed in the review
43 of last year’s Forest Report ; he is not satisfied that thereis any real necessity for
44 granting magisterial powers to forest officers of the plain divisions. In remote
45 hill divisions, where no ordinary magistrate’s court 1s near at hand, the @mse is
46 different ; and magisterial powers have accordingly, on the Conservator’s applica-
47 tion, been recently given to the forest officers employed in Chamba.
48 7. His Honor quite concurs in the remarks on planting contained in paras.
49 183 and 184 of the Conservator’s report ; the question of deodar-planting is no
50 doubt one of the most important which can engage the attention of the officers
51 of the Forest Department. ‘
52 8. The remarks in para. 191 upon the Military rakhs near Midn Mir
53 will be communicated to the Military Secretary to this Government.
54 9, Plantation operations were concentrated upon large and important
55 works, in accordance with His Honor’s views on this subject expressed in the
56 review of last year’s Forest Report, and were attended with a fair amount of