Here is the official Notification, declaring Ramadevarabetta as a Vulture Sanctuary (courtesy @bngbirds).
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Government of Karnataka No. F.E.E.234.S.W.L. 2009, dated January 31, 2012
NOTIFICATION
Whereas the Govt. of Karnataka in excise of the powers confered under Section 26A of the Wildlife Protection) Act. 1972 (Ammended in 2003) (Central Act 53 of 1972) has considered the area, situation and limits which are specified in the Schedule notification of the Government of His Highness Maharaja of Mysore State, Notrification No. R-2992-FT-61-17-4 dated 17-09-1917, to an extent of 346.14 hectares to declare as “Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary”, as it is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, zoological association or importance and for the purpose of protecting, propagating and developing wildlife or its environment.
By order in the name of the Government of Karnataka
Umadevi
Under Secretary to Government,
Forest, Ecology and Environment Department
Government of Karnataka
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Editor’s note: Please watch-out for an elaborate CI case study documenting the campaign that led to the notification.
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Older Comments 3
Nice. But, it says something about the processes of notification as well as on the technical capacity to rely on “…the Schedule notification of the Government of His Highness Maharaja of Mysore State, Notrification No. R-2992-FT-61-17-4 dated 17-09-1917”. In spite of the big mess we are in after not “clearly” demarcating protected areas when they were notified for the last 20 years, we apparently do not learn much. Notifications of such areas should be strongly grounded in up-to-date surveys of flora, fauna as much as it should have a good documentation of human activity within and immediately around the area. I sincerely hope the department is (soon?) going to complement the declaration with an on-ground understanding of the area.
And indeed, there would be lots to learn from the sort of case studies that you are proposing. I would strongly recommend engaging some social science people (if possible from outside of the conservation movement) too in these case studies – as often policy analysis and influence draws from a lot of political and social sciences.
Congratulations! But hope you are aware that if the “ecotourism guidelines” presently in the Supreme Court are ratified, visitors may only be able to access a maximum of 0.346sq.kms of this Sanctuary (10%)! These guidelines claim to be applicable to “any Protected Areas, Tiger Reserves, including National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community Reserves, Conservation Reserves, Sacred Groves or Pilgrimage spots located within protected areas and forested areas.” Some aspects even seek to apply to private forestland.