Background
The Department of Forests and Park Services of Bhutan which was founded in 1952 is responsible to protect, conserve, utilize and manage the forestry resources of Bhutan. It was one of the oldest government departments in Bhutan. During the inception of the Department back in the 1950s, the department has been manned by the foresters from India. This was due to the lack of trained personnel from Bhutan at that time. As of now, the Department is fully manned by the nationals.
History
The Department of Forests and Park Services was established in 1952 under the name "Department of Forests" which was before the starting of the FYPs in the country. In 1961 the Department was under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Forests.
In the early 1980s, the Department was put under the Ministry of Agriculture during a reorganisation exercise by RCSC based on cadre system.
Forestry policy and Legislation
Bhutanese have always been endowed with rich renewable resources. Majority of the people in Bhutan reside in the rural areas of the country. These section of the country rely heavily on the forest resources for their livelihood. Until the 1960s the people in Bhutan made use of the forest resources in their vicinity without much interferences from the Government.
Vision and mission
Vision
"Sustaining Bhutan’s forest resources & biodiversity for the happiness of present and future generations"
Mission
"To conserve and manage Bhutan’s forest resources & biodiversity to ensure social, economic and environmental well-being, and to maintain a minimum of 60% of the land under forest cover for all times to come"
Functional Divisions
The Department of Forests and Park Services is composed of six functional divisions.
Forest Protection and Enforcement Division (FPED) The Forest Protection and Enforcement Division, the then Forest Protection & Land Use Section (FPLUS) was formed sometime in 1991 as one of the oldest Functional Divisions under the Department. It was renamed to FPUD in 2000.
The objective of this division is to ensure forest protection, sustainable management & utilization of land & forest resources.
Sections/Programmes
Sections or programmes under this functional division are as follows:
Forest Protection
Functions the under Forest Protection section are; Forest Litigation-functions Forest Epidemics-functions and Anti-Poaching
Forest Utilization
This is the main section under the functional division which ensures to maintain uniform allocation of Natural Resources sustainably throughout the country.
Forest Landuse
This section oversees the appropriate use and allocation of the state reserved forest lands properly in line with the existing Acts, Rules and regulations.
Forest Fire Management
This section oversees the various activities pertaining to the prevention and minimizing of forest fire in the country.
Forest Resource Management Division (FRMD) The forests resource management division under the DoFPS ensures the sustainable management of forestry resources of Bhutan. Scientific management of Forest is done through the establishment of Forest Management Units. The division was renamed to FRMD in 2000 from Forest Resource Development Division.
Sections
Forest Management Planning Section
Inventory and Data Section
Monitoring and Implementation Support Section
Geographical Information System Section
Forest Demarcation Section
Nature Conservation Division (NCD) The Nature Conservation Division under the Department was established in 1992 to plan and implement conservation programs in the country. This division is the sole technical support provider to the protected areas.
Technical Sections under the NCD
Species Conservation and Monitoring Section (SCMS) Nature Recreation and Ecotourism Section (NRES) Protected Area Section (PAS) Human Wildlife Conflict Management Section (HWCMS)
Social Forestry and Extension Division (SFED) The Social Forestry and Extension Division under the Department was established in 1989 under the name "Afforestation Division".
Sections under SFED
Social Forestry Section
Plantation Section
NWFP Section
Watershed Management Division (WMD) This Division was created on 25 May 2009 after the proposal for its creation in January 2009. The primary mandate of this division is to implement the watershed management program.