Prior to
the years 1815-20 of the British Rule, the forests of the
It was only in the year 1858 that Major
Ramsay drew up the first comprehensive conservation plan to protect the forest.
He ensured that his orders are followed strictly and, by 1896 the condition of
the forest began to improve. Ramsays plan reflected
the deep thought he had given to the science of forestry. In 1861-62 farming
was banned in the lower Patlidun valley. Cattle sheds
were pulled down, domestic animals were driven from the forest and a regular
cadre of workers was created to fight forest fire and secure the forest from
illegal felling of trees. Licenses were issued for timber and count of trees
was undertaken. In 1868, the
In a letter dated January 3,1907, Sir, Michael Keen
for the first time referred to the possibility of turning these forests into a
game sanctuary however the proposal was turned down. It was years later in 1934
the governor, Sir Malcolm Hailey, supported the proposal for the sanctuary and
wanted the enactment of a law to give it protection. To overcome the delays
that legislation would entail the area was made into a reserve forest by the
Chief Conservator of forest. Later in consultation with Major Jim Corbett, the
boundaries of the park were demarcated and in 1936 The United Province national
Park Act was enforced and this reserved forest became the first
Initially the park measured merely 323.75 square kilometers, but to accommodate
wild animals like Tigers and Elephants, it was expanded to its present area of
520 square kilometers (core area) in 1966. The year 1973 was a landmark in the
field of wildlife preservation. It was in this year that wildlife
preservationist and naturalists from around the world launched PROJECT TIGER the
most prestigious and biggest total environmental conservation project ever
undertaken. The