THE MUSK DEER GURASE NATIONAL PARK (MDGNP)

One of the core strategies for protecting biodiversity is the establishment of national parks and other protected areas. Management Planning is an essential step towards ensuring the proper management of protected areas. This is particularly so as we move forward to the 21st century and face increasing complexities in the management of our parks and reserves.

Gurase Valley in District Neelum Azad Kashmir is the most captivating but remote and backward area of the Neelum valley situated in the north-east of the Muzaffarbad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir. It is stippled in many sub-valleys from the Kail to Taubutt. The area is situated at line of control (LOC) between India and Pakistan. The area is full of marvelous flora and fauna and enriched with natural resources like rivers, natural springs, forest and minerals. A local biologist Baseer ud din Quershi is of opinion that tremendously there is a number of rare species in Gurase Valley which are now at the last breath due to illegal hunting, deforestation and habitat degradation. Govt. of Azad Kashmir has declared the valley as a national park through a government Notification No SJ-F-O-7(14)/47-4238/2007 dated September.24, 2007 to protect and wise use of Natural resources for the conservation and income generation of local community. The area harbor a number of endangered species like Himalayan Musk Deer ,Marmot , Brown Bear and black bear including a number of birds and plants species. Similarly the endangered plant Bermi (Taxus baccata) the source of cancer medicine, Taxol, and a number of medicinal plants like Kuth(Sassuria lappa)  are found in the area.

GEOGRAPHY

Neelum River divides the park into two parts while the human population resides on both side of Neelum River in the park area.  The park is surrounded by Line of Control in the east, peaks of Qammary heights in the north Astor, Northern areas.  The Park is located in district Neelum, covering an area of 52,817 ha, lying  between 2,017m to 4,345m elevation.  The park falls under the Sharda division and Guraze Range of AJK Forest Department. Each of the Range is further divided into Blocks.  Entire Sonar Block from Compartment No. 1 to Compartment No. 31 and Compartment No. 16 to Compartment No.42 of Janwai Block are included in the park via Notification No SJ-F-O-7(14)/47-4238/2007 dated September.24,  2007.