DEFINITION OF FOREST

Uttarakhand’s definition:

• In a notification on November 21, the Uttarakhand government said that in areas recorded as “deemed forest”, only tracts 10 hectares and more, and having a canopy density of greater than 60%, would be considered as forests.
  
  
• Land already registered as ‘reserved’ and ‘protected’ forests would be out of the remit of this definition. However, land recorded in government records as ‘revenue’ land could potentially be influenced by this definition of deemed forest.
  
  

Objection by Union Ministry for Environment:

• According to it, the Uttarakhand order was in “contravention” of the Supreme Court's orders.
  
  
• The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 would be applicable to all areas recorded as forest in any government records.