in 



No. 10855, dated Jubbulpore, the I2th November 1900. 



From J. B. FULLER, Esq., I. C. s., C. I. E., Commissioner, Jubbulpore Division, 

 To The Conservator of Forests, Southern Circle, Central Provinces. 



I have the honour to forward with the following remarks letter No. 3173, 

 dated the 1 5th ultimo, from the Deputy Commissioner, 

 Seoni, together with the Seoni Forest Divisional Officer's 



Final Working-Plan* for the Northern Ranges of the Government Forests of 



this district. 



2. These forests lie in the Lakhnadon Tahsil and are very remote from 

 centres of consumption. The villages which surround them are generally small, 

 and the country is sparsely populated. The area of private forest is large, and 

 there is but small demand for timber from the Government reserves. Over 80 

 per cent, of the income now received by Government is from grazing fees and 

 commutation dues for dry wood, grass, thorns and the like, and I see that the 

 Forest Divisional Officer estimates that under a properly elaborated system of 

 management, these receipts will still constitute almost as large a share of the 

 total as they do at present. It has been the practice in this tahsil for some 

 years past to collect grazing dues and dues for minor produce on the basis of 

 village assessment lists and not by sale of licenses. This policy has recently 

 been reaffirmed and extended. We must remember then that we are dealing 

 with, so to speak, regular customers whose interests require very careful con- 

 sideration. 



3. The area of the forest is 230,283 acres. A considerable portion of it 

 has as yet never even been brought under the Forest Act, and at present those 

 who consent to pay forest dues can graze and cut grass where they please. 

 Timber is sold on license, but the licensee can cut where he pleases. Fire-protec- 

 tion is merely nominal and a large portion cf the forests is burnt over annually. 



4. It is proposed to divide the 230,283 acres into three classes : 



144,054 acres will be brought under systematic working (A) ; 41,329 

 acres will be left as unworkable (B) ; 44,900 acres will be treated 

 as grazing areas pure and simple (C). 



Persons having cattle to graze will have annually open to them the whole 

 of B and C and frds of A. The result will be that they will lose about 20 per 

 cent, of the area now grazed over. I think that this is a considerable loss. 

 But I do not wish to oppose these proposals on its account. Persons who wish 

 to procure dry wood, grass and thorns, &c., will have the whole area open to them 

 as at present. Green timber will only be procurable in future from B and C 

 areas and from g^th of A. That is to say, the available area will be diminished 

 by nearly 50 per cent. But the demand for green timber is small, and I do not 

 expect it to increase largely. The only question is as to the distances which 

 people will have to travel. In the three ranges 1 7 compartments will be annually 

 open, and the Forest Divisional Officer states that there will always be an open 

 compartment within six miles of a village. I should say that this will suffice. 



5. Where I feel doubt is in respect to the proposals for fire-protection- 

 it is proposed to bring the grazing areas under C class protection and the un- 

 workable areas and the working circles under B class protection, and to gradually 

 extend A class protection to the working circles as operations develop. There 

 seems to be overwhelming evidence in support of the view that the growth of 

 grass is improved by firing. This is the universal opinion of the villagers who, 

 in a matter of this sort, can be trusted to know their own interests ; it is the 

 opinion of some experienced Forest Officers, and it has been borne out by 

 experience gained in the course of the grass-cutting operations of the past year. 

 H it is not accepted, the matter is of sufficient importance to call for special 

 enquiry. If it is accepted, then it is wrong to fire-protect grazing areas : they 

 should indeed be regularly burnt. I think that the people should be allowed 

 moreover encouraged to burn over the 44,900 acres which are set aside for 

 grazing. My experience is that fire-protection of C class may cause more 



