Stop Ancient Mango Trees from Being Cut Down in India!

One wrongful decision or error by officials and lawmakers is leading to a large-scale felling of very old mango trees in the Western Ghats. On March 3, 2015, twenty-six species of trees were listed as okay to be felled without the permission of the Department of Forests, and mango is among them.

It has been found that inclusion of mango on this list has resulted in indiscriminate felling of decades-old mango trees. Taking advantage of this error, timber contractors and wood cutters have now been felling wild mango trees in large numbers in the Western Ghats region thereby creating havoc. Mango is declared a heritage tree by the Karnataka Biodiversity Board.

Please sign this petition asking the government to immediately withdraw this order, and send Forest officials to this area for spot checks to protect the remaining standing trees.