Summary
In 1995, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad, popularly known as “the green man” for his litigation efforts for conservation, filed a writ petition with the India Supreme Court to halt illegal timber operations in the area out of concern for the destruction of the Sandalwood Forest and Sandalwood becoming an endangered species. He claimed the timber operations violated section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, which says no state government or any other authority can make use of land of the forest for any non-forestry activities through the prior permission of the Central Government. The case was concerned with the question of whether sandalwood could be stated to be an endangered species and declared as a “specified plant” (9). The court found it did, and all licenses with wood-based industries were canceled. The court ruled in favor of Thirumulpad, directing sustainable use of the forest. The ruling also established an implementation system.