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Introduction

Forestry involves the management of a broad range of natural resources within a forested area. In addition to timber, forests provide such resources as grazing land for animals, wildlife habitat, water resources and recreation areas.

Since establishment of Forest Department in 1871, a series of policy guidelines were issued during different periods for better management and development of the Forest resources and a number of Developmental project were launched to implement these policy guidelines. However, the result could not be achieved to the desired level. Recognizing the significance of forests at the national level, a country vide Forestry Sector Master Plan was prepared in 1991 by the Federal Government for the improved management of the country's forest resources. To implement the recommendations of this Master Plan, Forestry Sector Project was launched in 1996 in NWFP with the financial assistance of Asian Development Barlie The recommendations of this project were translated into NWFP Forest Policy approved in 1990. Major guiding principles of this policy are;

  • Integrated resource management whereby the different land use types (forests, watershed areas, range lands, bio-diversity areas; etc.) and vegetation and other resource type (trees, shrubs, grasses, wild animals and fisheries) will be managed in an integrated way as part of the overall ecological system.
  • Participation of the local communities and other stakeholders in the plam1ing, implementation, monitoring, and evolution of natural resource management activities.

In response to these Policy Directives, the NWFP Government introduced a series of reforms in the Department which include:

A. Institutional Reforms:

 I. Promulgated new Provincial Forest Ordinance, where in all the existing different sets of Acts were integrated in a new Forest ordinance titled "Forest ordinance 2002".

 II. Updated the existing forest Rules and framed new Rules under the Provision of the Ordinance.

 III. Established Forestry Round Table for effective participation of Forestry Stakeholders in the Planning process.

IV. Established Forestry Development Fund to provide sustainable financial support to the Department for its regeneration programmes.

V. To combat against illegal Forest Cutting, protective staff of the Forest Department was declared as Forest force.

B. Structural reforms:

As a process of structural reforms of the Department, the Department was reorganized into managerial and specialized Units. Matrix Management system was introduced to introduce interconnected coordinated performance of managerial and specialized staff. Specialized units were created in important areas, such as;

I. Institutional & Human Resource Development Directorate (I&HRD).

II. Community development, Extension & Gender Development Directorate (CDEGAD).

III. Research & Development Directorate (R&D).

IV. Planning & Monitoring Directorate (P&M).

 V. Non Timber Forest Product Directorate (NTFP).

The renewable natural resources of NWFP are a unique bounty of Allah. They meet the essential subsistence needs of the local communities and conserve soil and water. They are a source of numerous goods and services for local people of the Province and Pakistan. Internationally they are important for bio-diversity conservation and retarding global warming. It is therefore the policy of the Govt. of NWFP to protect, sustainably manage and develop its forests in recognition of their ecological significance and economic value. Details about NWFP Forest Department is as under;