Forest Rights Act

Recognizing the rights of communities residing in forests to manage and maintain their resources in addition to using them is one of the FRA’s main features. Through programs like Community Forest Resource Rights, the legislation guarantees local communities’ participation in forest management and recognizes their contribution to forest conservation. Although Scheduled Tribes are one of the FRA’s main beneficiaries, the legislation also acknowledges the rights of other traditional forest dwellers, who may not be Scheduled Tribes but have long lived in forests. Accordingly, under the FRA, both STs and OTFDs may assert their individual and collective forest rights. The FRA’s main goal is to acknowledge the rights of communities that live in forests over the land they have historically occupied and used, not to impose restrictions on human activity. Recognizing these communities’ significance in preserving forest ecosystems, the act aims to find a balance between conservation and their rights. It encourages the sustainable use of forest resources without limiting human activity.