Title Pakistan Forest Digest Issue 01- A4 - Pakistan Research Group

SDPISustainable Development Policy InstituteSaran valley in a period of 9months 16 DFOs have beentransferred. Public circles havedemanded immediate transfer ofthe conservator saying thatefficient officers shouldbe appointed here.Ruthless cutting of trees continues with theconnivance of officials of forest departmentCorrupt officials should be removed to save precious forestsDaily Shamal Abbottabad, May 27, 2010Jabori (Special Correspondent) InSaran valley large number of treesare being cut every day.Particularly the guzara forests inTodandi and government-ownedforests in Sarbun are being cutruthlessly. People of Jabori saidthat one official has been postedhere since long and when we try totalk to him he does not payattention to us. No action has beentaken against the corrupt officials.Residents of Jabori expressedthese views while talking toShamal correspondent. They saidthat these corrupt officials shouldbe transferred from hereimmediately and an inquiry mustbe initiated if we have to save theforests. They said if this is notdone the forest will soon becomean empty ground and the forestofficials will be responsible forthisdestruction.Battal: forest department adopts effective strategy;timber smugglers go in hidingTimber smugglers are blackmailing forest officials using the newspapersDaily Shamal Abbottabad, May 29, 2010Shinkiari (News Reporter) Due to an effective strategyadopted by the forest department the timber smugglershave gone in hiding. However timber smugglers areusing their agents to blackmail dutiful officials of theforest department through newspapers. Residents ofKonish valley have expressed full confidence in theperformance of the range officer and other staff inBattal. Elders of the area held an important meetingchaired by former councilor Imtiaz Ahmed of BaiTarpi. Around 60 elders attended this meeting.Addressing the meeting these people declared that thereports being published in the newspapers against theBattal range offer and other staff are baseless. Theyalso said that the timber smugglers used to roamaround the forests carrying latest weapons. The forestofficials putting their lives in danger continue toperform their duty of protecting the forests. Due totheir action timber smugglers have gone in hiding.Galiyat: forest department sets new record byplanting 300,000 plantsDaily Shamal Abbottabad, May 17, 2010Changla Gali (SpecialCorrespondent) Forest departmenthas planted over 300,000 plants inGaliyat area during 2009-10plantation campaign. Briefing thejournalists in Koza Gali foresthouse range officer GaliyatDivision Sardar Riyasat Nalothasaid that during the current yearthe forest department has planted85,000 kikar trees, 130,500 biartrees, 10,000 Bankhor trees and53,000 Chir trees. He said thiswas a joint project of ERRA andthe forest department forplantation of trees in earthquakeaffected areas. The target has beenachieved in the first phase.Pakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010