Mysuru: Stressing on the need for Forest Department staff to commit themselves for conservation of Wildlife and Forests, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Venkatesh observed that training of personnel holds key for successful implementation of Forest Laws. He was speaking at the 2019 Diary and Calendar release programme organised by the Mysuru Unit of Karnataka State Sub-Divisional Forest Officers and Surveyors Association at Aranya Bhavan in Ashokapuram here yesterday.

Emphasising on the need for clearing forest encroachments and to keep a watch on illegal activities in reserved forests, social forests, deemed forests and designated forest land, Venkatesh suggested the Forest personnel to register FIR for illegal forest activities based on GPRS tracking. Highlighting the role of Sub-Divisional Forest Officers and Surveyors in protecting forest borders and preventing man-animal conflicts, he said that clearing encroachments was vital in the implementation of Forest Laws.

Mysuru Wildlife DCF Siddramappa Chalkapure, in his address, said that Sub-Divisional Forest Officers play an important role in putting an end to man-animal conflicts in villages bordering the forests. Underlining the need for carrying out appropriate surveys in order to prevent illegal activities in forests, he emphasised on the role of surveyors in forest conservation.

Mandya DCF N. Shivaraj too spoke. Retired DRFO Somashetty was felicitated on the occasion along with H.D. Kote DRFO Manjunath and Mysuru Circle DRFO Malegowda for successful trapping of leopards.

CCF (Mysuru) Ambadi Madhav,  Project Tiger Director Jagat Ram, DCF (Hunsur) M.N. Vijaykumar, Forest Officer T.V. Bhanuprakash, Forest Mobile Squad Officers A.T. Poovaiah, Venkatesh, Manjunath and Dr. K.C. Prashanth Kumar, Association Mysuru District President D. Siddaraju, General Secretary H.M. Pramod and others were present.