Agriculture and Raw Food Security Minister Avi Dichter has signed a declaration designating eight forests as natural reserves near the northern border, covering approximately 2,700 hectares (6700 acres).
This is a broad initiative led by the ministry, as part of a national regulatory process, aimed at providing effective protection for forested areas in Israel.
The declaration gives the designated lands official status, preventing damage and requiring planning authorities to take them into account.
Israel currently has over 90,000 hectares declared as forest reserves out of approximately 150,000 hectares of planted forests.
This move ensures that the 2,7000 hectares will have statutory protection, reducing harm and preventing changes in land use.
Israel has about 900,000 dunams of forest reserves
The ministry emphasized that this is a strategic initiative promoted by the National Forest Officer, Dr. Erez Barkai, as part of a policy to expand forest reserves in Israel and provide enhanced protection.
This strengthens the legal status of forests within planning institutions and provides a robust protective framework, helping to preserve open spaces and ecological systems.
Until now, some of the areas have relied on outdated declarations or partial status (such as open land designation) that have not always withstood various pressures. With this declaration, the forests now receive an anchoring that elevates their weight in decision-making processes.
The declarations include the forests of Har Haari, Har Amasa, Netua Tsunami, Psota, Tarbikha, Shefer, Kadrim, and Wadi Limon. Some represent new areas under updated master plans, while others are updates of historical Mandate-era declarations that no longer reflect the current situation on the ground.
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