The Indian Forest Act, passed in 1927, was an important landmark in legislation for forest protection. Although it stands the test of time, the need to modify it was felt in the late seventies, owing to increasing concern about the serious depletion of forest cover. This was due to relentless pressure arising from the increasing demand for firewood, fodder and timber, the inadequacy of protection measures, the diversion of forest lands to non-forest uses without ensuring compensatory tree planting and essential environmental safeguards, and the tendency to look upon forests as a revenue earning resource. To meet the problems, the Government of India passed the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, issuing consolidated guidelines for the diversion of forest land. The government framed the National Forest Policy in 1988 to be followed in the management of state forests.
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