The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Suresh Kumar Gupta, officially opened a one-day technical workshop aimed at developing the Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) for the financial year 2026-27 at the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Dachigam on November 1. This workshop was designed to assist implementing agencies in crafting scientific, results-driven, and community-focused plans for the upcoming fiscal year.
During the workshop, the PCCF emphasized the importance of engaging in constructive discussions with local panchayats to ensure that community needs for fodder, medicinal plants, firewood, and other forest products are addressed through the plantation initiatives financed by the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Funding Agency (CAMPA). He also urged for the development of scientifically sound proposals in alignment with the established working plans.
Additionally, the PCCF launched two informative booklets titled “CAMPA Success Stories: The Seeds of Hope” and “Forest Fire Management Plan of JV Forest Division.” He pointed out the critical role of CAMPA in restoring degraded forests, conserving soil and moisture, managing forest fires, addressing human-wildlife conflicts, conserving protected areas, and promoting biodiversity projects. The PCCF instructed all implementing agencies to align their APOs with CAMPA guidelines.
The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) for Kashmir, Irfan Rasool Wani, shared insights on the achievements of CAMPA since its establishment in 2010-11, highlighting that 18,000 hectares of degraded forest land have been treated, resulting in the planting of 2.25 crore quality saplings. Furthermore, he mentioned that the Forest Department has established 56 nurseries capable of producing 7.5 million conifer and broadleaf plants annually.
Wani stressed the importance of enhancing the survival rate of planted saplings, focusing on economically viable species, diversifying plant types, and modernizing nursery operations. The Chief Executive Officer of CAMPA, Dr K.S. Jaychandran, encouraged the participating agencies to develop technically sound APOs within the set deadlines, emphasizing the need for greening initiatives and soil and moisture conservation efforts. He advised forest officers to adopt a landscape and watershed approach for holistic forest area treatment.
The workshop also featured presentations of various CAMPA success stories by conservators from different forest circles. Field officers, including District Forest Officers (DFOs), discussed best practices in quality plant production, modern nursery management, the development of muck dumping sites, forest fire management, wildlife habitat improvement, and human-animal conflict management. The event concluded with a panel discussion that encouraged collaborative brainstorming among all attending officers, including representatives from the Forest Protection Force, Social Forestry, Wildlife, and other related departments.
