14 Jun 2021 Heritage Trees

Heritage Trees

Context:

The Maharashtra Cabinet has passed an action plan to protect and preserve trees older than 50 years in urban areas by terming them heritage trees.

About:

Concept of Heritage Tree

• Few important criteria for considering a tree as a “heritage tree” are: size, shape, rarity, aesthetical/historical values, association with historic person, place or even myths.
• A certain species need not be native to an area for this tag.

Components of Plan:

The provisions included in the plan are the concept of heritage trees and a plan of action for conservation, method to define the age of the tree, rules to be followed before hacking trees etc.

Compensatory Plantation

• It will include planting the number of trees equivalent to the age of trees to be cut.
• The saplings need to be six to eight feet in height while planting and they will undergo geo-tagging with seven years of caring period.
• The option of monetary compensation has also been given, instead of compensatory plantation.
• State-level Tree Authority: The authority will be formed to protect and preserve heritage trees.
• Tree Census: It will ensure that the tree census is conducted after every five years.
• Land Use: Ensuring that 33% of government land is used for tree plantation.

rahul123

Yojna IAS Current Affairs Team