Dehradun, Oct. 2 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said participation of local communities is essential for wildlife conservation, stressing that the state government was promoting eco-tourism to create employment opportunities for people living near forests while encouraging them to contribute to nature conservation. Dhami said this while inaugurating Wildlife Week-2026 at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus in Dehradun. He said minimising human-wildlife conflict was a priority and stressed the need to ensure wildlife safety while preventing harm or inconvenience to people. He said forest monitoring systems were being strengthened and a decision had been taken to constitute a Special Tiger Protection Force for Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserves. Dhami honoured 18 people who displayed exceptional courage during wildlife encounters and saved the lives of others without concern for their own safety. He announced a cash award of Rs.51,000 for each of them. He also visited stalls and a wildlife photography exhibition and felicitated students who performed well in a wildlife-themed essay competition. The chief minister directed officials to identify "at least one new tourist destination in every district and develop facilities there while preserving the natural environment". He said the proposal for a zoo in Haldwani had been included in the government manifesto and work would be expedited to develop it as a centre for wildlife conservation, environmental education and tourism. "Wildlife is an integral part of India's faith, culture and traditions. Sanatan culture has long propagated coexistence between humans and animals". He said the government was organising awareness programmes during Wildlife Week and was committed to protecting wildlife habitats and keeping wildlife corridors unobstructed. He said development projects were being implemented while prioritising wildlife welfare, citing the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor as an example. "Uttarakhand's Himalayas, forests, rivers, lakes and biodiversity are the state's greatest assets", he said. He said the government aims to promote wildlife tourism while maintaining ecological balance and increasing local incomes through eco-tourism and homestays. Dhami announced that the second phase of relocating tigers from Corbett Tiger Reserve to Rajaji Tiger Reserve would begin soon. He also highlighted the potential for snow leopard tourism in high-altitude Himalayan areas and directed Forest Department officials to accelerate efforts to link conservation with employment opportunities for local youth. htc...