The draft says that large tracts of forest area in the country have degraded due to "immense" biotic pressure and "lack" of adequate investment.
Aiming to bring one-third of the country's geographical area under forest cover, the Centre has prepared the new draft National Forest Policy (NFP) 2016 which proposes a "green tax" and an increase in the budget for the forest sector.
The draft says that large tracts of forest area in the country have degraded due to "immense" biotic pressure and "lack" of adequate investment.
The draft NFP 2016, which aims to replace the 1988 policy, also proposes a National and State Board of Forestry to ensure inter-sectoral convergence and conflict resolution, besides increasing the forestry budget.
"The budget of the forestry sector should be appropriately enhanced so that the objectives enshrined in this policy can be achieved. Investments on infrastructure and livelihood support for the forest dependent communities and forest management would be stepped up as they are equity enhancing and need to be given utmost priority.
"Environmental cess, green tax, carbon tax etc may be levied on certain products and services for facilitating ecologically responsible behaviour, garnering citizen's contribution and supplementing financial resources," the draft NFP, which has been put in the public domain for feedback from stakeholders, said.
The draft also proposes formulation of an inter-ministerial action plan with respect to policy directions, where definitive targets, milestone activities, timeliness and outcome indicators will be provided.
"An inter ministerial committee should be set up to periodically monitor the achievements and progress made under this action plan," the draft said.
The draft policy has taken note of the "decline" in the quality of forests, impact of climate change, "rising" human-wildlife conflict, intensifying water crises and growing air pollution.
"A need was felt to revise the NFP, 1988 to integrate the vision of sustainable forest management based on the principles of ecosystem approach, landscape level planning and the learnings from participatory forest management while building on our rich cultural heritage of co-existence and eco-centrism," the draft says.