People living on the fringes of protected forest areas should be provided basic facilities while effective steps should be taken to prevent poaching of wild animals which is a major threat facing the State. The Uttarakhand governor Krishan Kant Paul said this at a function organised at the Raj Bhawan to mark the conclusion of wildlife week on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Paul called public participation necessary for the protection and welfare of wildlife and forests. He stressed on the importance of modern scientific management for protecting the floral and faunal wealth.
He said that those living near remote mountainous protected areas should not be left without health, education and communication facilities. It is also important that such people do not remain apathetic towards protection of trees and wildlife. For this, justified facilities should be provided to the locals through protected area management to meet their basic requirements, opined the governor.
Top most priority should be accorded to compensating for the developmental opportunities not available to the communities living near protected forest areas.
The governor said that both individual and collective efforts are needed to ensure conservation of the forests and protection of the wildlife. Referring to wildlife crime, the governor said that the illicit international trade in wild life is also a major threat faced by the State. Steps should be taken to put an effective stop to this, said the governor.