Department of Forests (DF)

The Department of Forests (DF) comes under the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment.

It was established in 1879 and is one of the oldest government departments. Its headquarters are located in Nicosia, next to the Ministry of Agriculture premises, at Loukis Akritas Street, 1414, Agios Dometios.

Communication information:

Website: www.moa.gov.cy/forest

E-mail: director@fd.moa.gov.cy

Tel: +357 22805500 / 501

Fax: +357 22781419, 22805542

The DF is the competent state authority for the forests and forestry matters in the Republic and as such it has the responsibility of management of the state forest land which covers about 18% of the island’s total surface. It has also the responsibility of implementing the state’s forest policy and forest legislation all over the country.

Forest staff includes 35 university graduates, 283 technicians and 910 laborers, posted in 28 forest stations and offices all over Cyprus.

The annual budget of the Department averaged at 38 million Euros over the past three years.

The DF is organized into 5 specialized Sectors in the headquarters, each including a number of specialist divisions. It also includes 3 territorial forest divisions (Pafos, Troodos and Nicosia – Larnaka – Ammochostos), one air forest-fighting unit stationed at Larnaka airport and the Forestry College at Prodromos.

The main functions and activities of the DF can be summarized as follows:

1. Protection of forests against fires, biotic agents and other threats
2. Maintenance and improvement of forests and the green cover in general
3. Implementation of forest legislation and forest policy
4. Protection of nature and biodiversity
5. Environmental education and promotion of public awareness
6. Provision of forest recreation
7. Forest survey and forest land administration
8. Forest management and production of forest products
9. European matters
10.  Forest research and education
11.  Forest engineering

Furthermore, DF is involved in activities relating to biodiversity conservation such as protection of flora, fauna, trees nature monuments, restoration of degraded sites, management of NATURA 2000 sites, preparation of management plans etc. Relative to these activities is its involvement in a large number of co-funded European projects.

Finally the DF administers a large number of significant infrastructure including three Visitor Centers, three Botanical Gardens, a Herbarium, four forest nurseries etc.