Discuss why the colonial government in India brought Forest Acts.

Explanation

(i) By the mid-19th century, various Forests Acts were also being enacted in the different provinces.
(ii) Through these Acts, some forests which produced commercially valuable timber like deodar or sal were declared .Reser ved..
(iii) No pastoralist was allowed to access these forests.
(iv) Other forests were classified as .Protected.. In these, customary grazing rights of pastoralists were granted but their movement was severely restricted.
(v) The colonial officials believed that grazing destroyed the saplings and young shoots of trees that germinated on the forest floor.
(vi) The herds trampled over the saplings and ate away the shoots. This prevented new trees from growing.