Protect ~700,000 Acres of Forest Lands in Sri Lanka
The Issue
Protect over Half a Million (700,000) Acres of State Forest Land and Reaffirm Government Circular No. 05 of 2001
DO NOT DONATE TO THIS PETITION AS THESE FUNDS GOTO CHANGE.ORG ONLY
It was recently reported that the current Transitional Government is preparing to rescind or amend Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 (dated as the 10th of December 2001), which placed Other State Forests (OSFs) under the Conservator General (CG) of Forests (Department of Forest Conservation). We, as concerned citizens, are curious as to why the current Transitional Government is making such a hasty, unnecessary decision. It has long been observed how successive Governments destroy nature for short term monetary and political gains, as per the wishes of a select few, damaging and/or destroying our natural resources for the many.
Which Protected Forest Classifications are Protected under Government Circular No. 05 of 2001?
Officially these lands would be legally classified as Other State Forests (OSF), essentially meaning that no Official Gazette and Demarcation exists for the aforementioned lands, placing them outside the direct purview of the Protected Area (PA) Network, which are governed by following Environmental Legislation and Government Entities, namely the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) - DWC, the Forest Conservation Ordinance (FCO) - DFC, the National Heritage and Wilderness Area Act (NHWAA) and the National Environmental Act (NEA) - CEA. Other State Forests (OSF) can vary greatly in size, and often contain a significantly higher densities of both Flora and Fauna, than their Officially Gazetted counterparts, including many undiscovered and/or endemic species of ecological importance.
The Importance of Other State Forests (OSF)
These forests are mostly located near human settlements. These forests serve as trails for wildlife to roam through ecosystems. A large number of animal species, from ants to elephants and leopards, make their way through these forests. These ecosystems also contribute to the control of air pollution by absorbing CO2 & other polluting particles. And the existence of water springs near the human settlements depends on these residual forests.
Mining, other forms of unregulated resource extraction and the illicit utilisation use of State Forest Lands classified as Other State Forests (OSF) is completely prohibited, as a result of the legal provisions spelled out under Section 20 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance (FCO). As specified above, Other State Forests (OSF) fall under the authority, management and purview of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), as a direct consequence of Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 (dated as the 10th of August 2001). As per Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, "the management and control of all State Forest Lands is directly vested with the Conservator General (CG) of Forests". In order to carry out any government or private sector project or long term program within/on the peripheries of Other State Forests, permission should be obtained from the Conservator General (CG) of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), in consultation with an appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which by law has to be carried out by the Central Environment Authority (CEA).
Cabinet Decision Seeks Government Circular No. 05 of 2001’s Amendment Based on the supposed needs of Farmers.
The Government is preparing to rescind Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 and make arrangements to specifically targeted Other State Forests (OSF) under the protection of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), to be placed under the jurisdiction of the current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance. Should this happen, Other State Forests (OSF) will no longer receive the strategic, legal protection that accompanies being placed under the authority, management and purview of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC). According to the Cabinet decision dated 02.07.2020 issued on the abolition of the circular on 05/2001, it is stated that Farmers find it difficult to obtain land for agricultural purposes. Therefore, the Cabinet decision dated 02.02.2020 also states that the powers of these remaining lands which are vested with the Forest Conservator under the circular 05/2001 will be vested with the District Secretary and Divisional Secretaries. However, if the land is needed for cultivation, the land has been given to the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries by the circular no 02/2006 and the lands which could be given to the civilizations have been reassigned by the Forest Conservation Ordinance. Therefore it would appear that making it easier for the people to acquire land for cultivation is not an excuse for revision of the circular no 05/2001 and is contrary to international accords signed, and presidential promises made (in 2020 by his excellency Gotabaya Rajapakse) to increase forest cover to 30%.
Let's Reaffirm Government Circular No. 05 of 2001!
By amending or fully rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, it is assumed that all Other State Forests (OSF) will be deprived of the protections offered under the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), but also the social protection it has offered. A significant percentage of the island’s Other State Forests (OSF) are located in the vicinity of existing Human Settlements. Therefore, the financial and strategic value of these forest lands is very high. As a result, these lands could potentially be abused for state and private sector projects, including mining resource extraction (soil, rocks, gems, sand etc, etc), due to the complete lack of conservation strategies under current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance (MPAHAPC&LG).
The environmental degradation caused by this situation will not only deprive the Wildlife of their game trails and habitats but will also cause problems to the other ecosystems, such as water springs and air. Also, the loss of water storage capacity due to the deforestation within Other State Forests (OSF), could lead to floods and landslides. A potentially significant issue that we will no doubt face in the near future, concerning the loss of an ecological equilibrium, which we are at risk of losing, could be re-balanced due to significantly large, remaining ecosystems (i.e. half a million hectares), which as Other State Forests (OSF), are directly associated with reaffirmation of Government Circular No. 05 of 2001.
The coronavirus epidemic that has plagued the entire world in recent years, and the previously spread of viral epidemics such as Ebola, Bird Flu, Anthrax and SARS, are considered zoonosis and transmitted to humans from animals. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program point to deforestation as the leading cause of such zoonotic outbreaks. Organizations have pointed out that deforestation can lead to the loss of habitat of animals and their ability to care for them. The possible loss upto 700,000 acres (as stated by conservationists) of habitats, animal shelters, and other natural ecosystems can lead wildlife to encounter humans further. This can lead to epidemic threats and also the incidence increase of protracted conflicts such as the human-elephant, human-leopard conflict. Considering all these factors, the Proposal given by the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers (OSF), to transfer Other State Forests (OSF) from the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC) to the current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance (MPAHAPC&LG) is not conducive to environmental well-being and the country's future. Therefore, instead of rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, making the rest of the forests unsafe, the current Transitional Government should focus on sustainable development and expand these environmental protection measures. Such actions cannot be accepted as citizens who are looking for a sustainable tomorrow, especially given that Sri Lanka’s total natural forest cover is less than 20% of its total landmass (65,610 Square Kilometres).
Therefore, we call upon the President, Prime Minister, and the Minister of Lands, Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources, Conservator General of Department of Forest Conservation, Director General Department of Wildlife Conservation, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority to take steps to protect ALL REMAINING Other State Forests (OSF), instead of amending/rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001. We also ask you to gazette these other state forests currently under circular 05/2001 as protected areas under the Department of Wildlife Conservation or the Department of Forest Conservation as appropriate, thereby ensuring their continued service to all life in this nation as well the millions of people who depend on her natural resources such as clean air, water and soil to survive driving away disease and hunger. This online petition represents the voice of the people and we respectfully hope that you will listen to them.
Please add your signature and make the authorities listen to our cause...
Petition forwarded by:
Movement for Land & Agriculture Reform (monlarlk@yahoo.com)
Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka (RainforestProtectors@gmail.com)
Reforest Sri Lanka (info@reforestsrilanka.com)
Voice for Climate Change (voiceforclimatechange@gmail.com)
Hanthana Nature Conservancy
Extinction Rebellion Sri Lanka (xrsrilanka@protonmail.com)
Rally for Animal Rights & Environment
The Issue
Protect over Half a Million (700,000) Acres of State Forest Land and Reaffirm Government Circular No. 05 of 2001
DO NOT DONATE TO THIS PETITION AS THESE FUNDS GOTO CHANGE.ORG ONLY
It was recently reported that the current Transitional Government is preparing to rescind or amend Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 (dated as the 10th of December 2001), which placed Other State Forests (OSFs) under the Conservator General (CG) of Forests (Department of Forest Conservation). We, as concerned citizens, are curious as to why the current Transitional Government is making such a hasty, unnecessary decision. It has long been observed how successive Governments destroy nature for short term monetary and political gains, as per the wishes of a select few, damaging and/or destroying our natural resources for the many.
Which Protected Forest Classifications are Protected under Government Circular No. 05 of 2001?
Officially these lands would be legally classified as Other State Forests (OSF), essentially meaning that no Official Gazette and Demarcation exists for the aforementioned lands, placing them outside the direct purview of the Protected Area (PA) Network, which are governed by following Environmental Legislation and Government Entities, namely the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) - DWC, the Forest Conservation Ordinance (FCO) - DFC, the National Heritage and Wilderness Area Act (NHWAA) and the National Environmental Act (NEA) - CEA. Other State Forests (OSF) can vary greatly in size, and often contain a significantly higher densities of both Flora and Fauna, than their Officially Gazetted counterparts, including many undiscovered and/or endemic species of ecological importance.
The Importance of Other State Forests (OSF)
These forests are mostly located near human settlements. These forests serve as trails for wildlife to roam through ecosystems. A large number of animal species, from ants to elephants and leopards, make their way through these forests. These ecosystems also contribute to the control of air pollution by absorbing CO2 & other polluting particles. And the existence of water springs near the human settlements depends on these residual forests.
Mining, other forms of unregulated resource extraction and the illicit utilisation use of State Forest Lands classified as Other State Forests (OSF) is completely prohibited, as a result of the legal provisions spelled out under Section 20 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance (FCO). As specified above, Other State Forests (OSF) fall under the authority, management and purview of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), as a direct consequence of Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 (dated as the 10th of August 2001). As per Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, "the management and control of all State Forest Lands is directly vested with the Conservator General (CG) of Forests". In order to carry out any government or private sector project or long term program within/on the peripheries of Other State Forests, permission should be obtained from the Conservator General (CG) of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), in consultation with an appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which by law has to be carried out by the Central Environment Authority (CEA).
Cabinet Decision Seeks Government Circular No. 05 of 2001’s Amendment Based on the supposed needs of Farmers.
The Government is preparing to rescind Government Circular No. 05 of 2001 and make arrangements to specifically targeted Other State Forests (OSF) under the protection of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), to be placed under the jurisdiction of the current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance. Should this happen, Other State Forests (OSF) will no longer receive the strategic, legal protection that accompanies being placed under the authority, management and purview of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC). According to the Cabinet decision dated 02.07.2020 issued on the abolition of the circular on 05/2001, it is stated that Farmers find it difficult to obtain land for agricultural purposes. Therefore, the Cabinet decision dated 02.02.2020 also states that the powers of these remaining lands which are vested with the Forest Conservator under the circular 05/2001 will be vested with the District Secretary and Divisional Secretaries. However, if the land is needed for cultivation, the land has been given to the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries by the circular no 02/2006 and the lands which could be given to the civilizations have been reassigned by the Forest Conservation Ordinance. Therefore it would appear that making it easier for the people to acquire land for cultivation is not an excuse for revision of the circular no 05/2001 and is contrary to international accords signed, and presidential promises made (in 2020 by his excellency Gotabaya Rajapakse) to increase forest cover to 30%.
Let's Reaffirm Government Circular No. 05 of 2001!
By amending or fully rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, it is assumed that all Other State Forests (OSF) will be deprived of the protections offered under the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC), but also the social protection it has offered. A significant percentage of the island’s Other State Forests (OSF) are located in the vicinity of existing Human Settlements. Therefore, the financial and strategic value of these forest lands is very high. As a result, these lands could potentially be abused for state and private sector projects, including mining resource extraction (soil, rocks, gems, sand etc, etc), due to the complete lack of conservation strategies under current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance (MPAHAPC&LG).
The environmental degradation caused by this situation will not only deprive the Wildlife of their game trails and habitats but will also cause problems to the other ecosystems, such as water springs and air. Also, the loss of water storage capacity due to the deforestation within Other State Forests (OSF), could lead to floods and landslides. A potentially significant issue that we will no doubt face in the near future, concerning the loss of an ecological equilibrium, which we are at risk of losing, could be re-balanced due to significantly large, remaining ecosystems (i.e. half a million hectares), which as Other State Forests (OSF), are directly associated with reaffirmation of Government Circular No. 05 of 2001.
The coronavirus epidemic that has plagued the entire world in recent years, and the previously spread of viral epidemics such as Ebola, Bird Flu, Anthrax and SARS, are considered zoonosis and transmitted to humans from animals. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program point to deforestation as the leading cause of such zoonotic outbreaks. Organizations have pointed out that deforestation can lead to the loss of habitat of animals and their ability to care for them. The possible loss upto 700,000 acres (as stated by conservationists) of habitats, animal shelters, and other natural ecosystems can lead wildlife to encounter humans further. This can lead to epidemic threats and also the incidence increase of protracted conflicts such as the human-elephant, human-leopard conflict. Considering all these factors, the Proposal given by the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers (OSF), to transfer Other State Forests (OSF) from the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC) to the current iteration of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governance (MPAHAPC&LG) is not conducive to environmental well-being and the country's future. Therefore, instead of rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001, making the rest of the forests unsafe, the current Transitional Government should focus on sustainable development and expand these environmental protection measures. Such actions cannot be accepted as citizens who are looking for a sustainable tomorrow, especially given that Sri Lanka’s total natural forest cover is less than 20% of its total landmass (65,610 Square Kilometres).
Therefore, we call upon the President, Prime Minister, and the Minister of Lands, Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources, Conservator General of Department of Forest Conservation, Director General Department of Wildlife Conservation, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority to take steps to protect ALL REMAINING Other State Forests (OSF), instead of amending/rescinding Government Circular No. 05 of 2001. We also ask you to gazette these other state forests currently under circular 05/2001 as protected areas under the Department of Wildlife Conservation or the Department of Forest Conservation as appropriate, thereby ensuring their continued service to all life in this nation as well the millions of people who depend on her natural resources such as clean air, water and soil to survive driving away disease and hunger. This online petition represents the voice of the people and we respectfully hope that you will listen to them.
Please add your signature and make the authorities listen to our cause...
Petition forwarded by:
Movement for Land & Agriculture Reform (monlarlk@yahoo.com)
Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka (RainforestProtectors@gmail.com)
Reforest Sri Lanka (info@reforestsrilanka.com)
Voice for Climate Change (voiceforclimatechange@gmail.com)
Hanthana Nature Conservancy
Extinction Rebellion Sri Lanka (xrsrilanka@protonmail.com)
Rally for Animal Rights & Environment
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Petition created on 8 July 2020