Ranjan Mishra named Uttarakhand’s new forest force head

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand govt on Sunday appointed senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Ranjan Kumar Mishra as the new head of forest force, following the superannuation of Samir Sinha. Mishra, a 1993-batch Uttarakhand cadre officer, is currently principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden.Mishra, who has a background in both wildlife and administrative management, has earlier served as additional secretary in the forest department and held additional charge of the IT department. He also served as director of the Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA).Outlining his priorities, Mishra told TOI, "Uttarakhand, with its steep terrain, faces challenges ranging from human–wildlife conflict to wildfires. From now on, each forest division will hold a monthly Forest Division Day as an open forum for local communities. Their feedback will be utilised to advance the community engagements thereby conserve and strengthen the state's forests and wildlife."