About

The Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation was established in 09.08.2020. Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation has been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the most sensitive flora and fauna of the world in accordance with the policies and regulations pertaining to wildlife protection and conservation in line with the Vistas of Prosperity Policy Statement. The main responsibility of the State Timber Corporation under the Ministry is to provide the necessary leadership to become the supplier of the most trusted timber and timber products in the country within the next five years and to nurture biodiversity through wildlife and forest conservation through policy guidance to the State Ministry. It is the responsibility of the Ministry to expand the national forest cover through sensitive forest plantations and to preserve the natural environment in which wildlife lives and pass it on to future generations.

Present Forest Policy in Srilanka 
The new forest policy came in to effect from 1995 has the following three main policy objectives.
•    To conserve forests for posterity with particular regard to biodiversity, soils, water, and historical, cultural, religious and aesthetic values.
•    To increase the tree cover and productivity of the forests to meet the needs of present and future generations for forest products and services.
•    To enhance the contribution of forestry to the welfare of the rural population and strengthen the national economy with special attention paid to equity in economic development.

The policy on management of state forest resources (almost all natural forests and majority of forest plantations belong to state) further states the following;

All state forest resources will be brought under sustainable management both in terms of the continued existence of important ecosystems and the flow of forest products and services.
The natural forests will be allocated firstly for conservation, and secondly for multiple use production forestry.
Forest legislation is now being formulated to provide the legal provisions to implement the new policy. The present legislation has several provision with regard to the control of forest fires through law enforcement. Section 7 and section 20 of the Forest Ordinance forbids setting fire to any forest. Regulations made under section 7 further forbid the use of fire within a ¼ mile from a reserved forest except in accordance with the regulations. Section 67 of the Forest Ordinance stipulates that all persons who exercise any right in a reserved forest or are employed by the state are bound to report the occurrence of any fire and to help in extinguishing it. So, the present policy is no fires are allowed in the forest except in accordance with the regulations. Helping to prevent and to suppress the fire is compulsory for people connected with and in the vicinity of forests and for those who are employed by the state.

No. 07, Hector 
Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, 
Colombo 07
Phone: +94 11 367 1490
Fax: +94 11 287 9051
E-Mail: info@mwfc.gov.lk