Consider the following statements regarding Community Reserve 1. Community Reserves are established under Environment Protection Act, 1986. 2. Any State government can declare community-owned forest area as "community reserve" if locals are willing to participate in conservation efforts for same. 3. Community reserves receive same legal protection as National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?

- Statement 1 is incorrect. Community Reserves (along with Conservation Reserves) are established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as amended in 2002. The Environment Protection Act, 1986, deals with environmental protection in a broader sense but not specifically with the declaration of reserves of this nature. - Statement 2 is correct. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as amended, allows state governments to declare an area owned by the community or a private individual as a Community Reserve if the local community or the individual volunteers to conserve wildlife and its habitat. - Statement 3 is incorrect. Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves provide a level of legal protection, but it is not the same as that of National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries. National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are areas primarily under government control with stricter regulations on human activities. Community Reserves involve community participation in management, and the permitted activities might be different, often allowing sustainable resource use by the community where compatible with conservation objectives.