 Resin is harvested from these pines, and fires are often intentionally set to remove the carpet of pine needles that come in the way of harvesting activity.In June 1981, a blanket ban was introduced against felling of standing trees 1000 metres above sea level, and this ban comes in the way of removing pine trees in the areas where they are invading.Apart from accidental fires, a number of causes and motivations for setting fires have been noted which include encroachment on forest lands and concealing illegal timber extraction.