Latest News

Jamaica’s Forests are Sustainably Managed

...there are strategies in place to ensure sustainable harvesting of trees.

Rockfort Resilience

“The grounds that we are standing on were somewhat of a wasteland..."

Forestry Department and JBM announce partnership to plant 20,000 trees

A 5-year partnership to plant 20,000 trees between the Forestry Department and the Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) ...

The Forestry Department connects hillsides and seasides through coastal clean-up activi...

Jamaica’s mangroves – the island’s primary “shore-keepers”, carbon sinks and fish nurseries continue to be negat...

Forestry Department commissions 15,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system into operation

...the Agency is, “committed to the mantra of environmental sustainability and so we are very deliberate in iden...

Portland resident fined for Operating a Sawmill without a Licence

A Portland man caught operating a chainsaw in a forest estate without a sawmill licence has been found guilty.

Forestry Department to Maintain Seedlings Planted Along Highway 2000

“We have put in place an arrangement to facilitate trucking of water to the site and we will be using water… fro...

Sandals Foundation advances food security mission

With a mixture of fruit, forest, and ornamental seedlings purchased from local forestry departments and nurserie...

National School Tree Planting Competition Propagates New Generation of Environmental St...

A new generation of environmental stewards were rewarded under the National School Tree Planting Competition (NS...

Schools grow through challenges to win school competition

They developed an exemplary agroforestry plot of various fruit species including soursop, cherry, coffee, and co...

Over 10,000 trees planted across Labour Day Projects islandwide

The Forestry Department, in partnership with public and private sector entities, united to plant over 10,000 fru...

Forestry Dept, Devon House playing important role in preserving Jamaica's trees

"This recommendation was as a result of the size of the tree, which had a hollowed-out trunk… and could result i...

Caribbean countries to kick off the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 data collec...

This exercise aims to contribute to the improvement of the quality and consistency of the reported data, to ensu...

Forest Trek trail devastated by Forest Fire

Approximately 40 hectares were burnt and over 3000 recently planted seedlings were ruined. Several tree species ...

Forest Trek 2023 - "A Family Affair"

With this expansion to include children, the popular hike is now a family affair. The hike rated as a six on the...

3,000 Trees to be Planted Along Lady Musgrave and East King’s House Roads

Three thousand trees will be planted on lands along Lady Musgrave and East King’s House roads in St. Andrew as t...

Discussions to build local forest sector underway at National Conference

Stakeholders within the forest sector kicked off a slew of discussions to build and improve the local sector on ...

Forestry as a business takes centre stage at upcoming National Forestry Conference

The business of forestry will take centre stage on December 7-8, 2022, when foresters, public and private sector...

Forestry Department Breathes New Life Into ‘Baby Tree’ Tradition

For generations, it’s been a tradition in Jamaican communities to commemorate the birth of babies by planting th...

Call for Nominations for Forest Heroes Awards

The Forestry Department has opened nominations for the 2022 Staging of the Forest Heroes Awards. The awards will...

Hopes restored: Crescent Women hopeful about straw and bamboo craft under EU project

Members of the Crescent Women’s Group are working towards creating more sustainable livelihoods through the use ...

EU/Forestry Department Project helps Watermount Community to improve water access, exce...

What started out as a project geared towards providing increased water access and better nutritional levels at t...

Over 11,000 trees planted for 20th celebration of National Tree Planting Day

The Forestry Department partnered with several organisations and groups to plant over 11,000 trees across the is...

The Sawyers’ Way- Keeping Food Waste in Check & Boosting Food Security

The Jamaican saying, “before good food waste, mek belly buss” highlights a level of consciousness among Jamaican...

Forestry Department partners with MAIA Foundation to boost Food Security through Agrofo...

The Forestry Department is partnering with the Making An Impact All-Together (MAIA) Foundation to boost food sec...

Improved 876Trees app to lend insight into Jamaica’s tree-planting efforts

The Forestry Department has upgraded its mobile application, 876Trees, launched earlier this year, as part of ef...

Agro-Investment Corporation and the Forestry Department to Plant 6000 Trees for Jamaica 60

The Agro-Investment Corporation, the Agribusiness investment facilitation arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and...

Court orders man to licence sawmill

A man caught operating a powersaw without a licence was convicted and fined $10,000.00 or 10 days imprisonment i...

Jamaicans Encouraged to Plant Trees for Labour Day 2022

With public Labour Day activities being allowed for the first time in three years due to the outbreak of the nov...

The Jamaican Mangrove Situation

Mangrove and swamp forests are among the most vulnerable forest types facing threats from both natural disasters...

EU, RISE Life set to give deaf community and other vulnerable groups livelihoods boost

Over 200 persons including members of the deaf community in Jamaica as well as small farmers, rural women, and e...

Forestry Department Launches “876Trees” Mobile App as Jamaica Heads Towards Three Milli...

The Forestry Department, today (March 16, 2022), launched the “876Trees” mobile app to track the number of seedl...

The planet’s environmental crisis can only be addressed with Unity of purpose and colle...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Senator the Honourable Matthew Sa...

Jamaica and other Caribbean Nations Join International Movement to Protect 30% of Globa...

Jamaica is among over a dozen Caribbean nations, including Grenada, and Antigua & Barbuda which have joined a pr...

Jamaica remains committed to its Environmental Protection Targets - Samuda

Minister without Portfolio, in the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation, Senator the Honorable Matthew Sam...

FD Launches Urban Trees Product Line

The Forestry Department has launched an Urban Trees Product Line in an effort to expand opportunities for Jamaic...

Jamaica Energy Partners Adopts 2.48 Hectares of Blue Mountain 2 Forest reserve

The Forestry Department has partnered with the Jamaica Energy Partners Group for the establishment of forest cov...

2 Hectares of Mangroves to be Rehabilitated

The Forestry Department has partnered with the University of the West Indies’ Centre for Marine Sciences to reha...

Forestry Department and NROCC sign MOU for large-scale tree planting programme related ...

The Forestry Department and the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) have signed a Memorandu...

Two men convicted of cutting trees in a Forest Reserve without a licence

Two men caught cutting trees without the requisite licenses in a forest reserve in St. Thomas have been fined ov...

(GIS) Unit learn to assemble and operate drones

Members of the Agency’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Unit learn to assemble and operate the Sensefly eBe...

Over 1200 seedlings planted for NTPD 2021

Over 1200 seedlings were planted across the island in observance of National Tree Planting Day which was commemo...

Jamaica to benefit from CityAdapt project

Jamaica is one of three countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to benefit from a project to increase the c...

Over 13 hectares of forests destroyed by fire in less than two months

Fires continue to be one of the leading causes of deforestation and forest degradation in Jamaica with over 13 h...

PSOJ and Partners Commit to “Plant Up JA”

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has launched a partnership with New Fortress Energy and the Fo...

PAVE Centre uses Forest as Remedial Tool to help Unattached Youth

Among the many benefits of trees and forests is their ability to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve th...

COVID-19 pandemic: an opportunity for job creation in the forest sector

Highlighting the importance of forest in the region, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and country re...

Jamaica calls for increased climate-related funding opportunities for women and youth

Increasing opportunities for women and youth to access funding for climate change activities were among the inte...

Tips for improving the growth of your trees

How are your potted Cupressus plants doing? Are they growing well for the fast-approaching Christmas season? If ...

Forestry Department’s CEO now President of Regional Forestry Commission

Mr. Ainsley A. Henry, CEO & Conservator of Forests, has been elected as the new president of the Latin-American ...

Jamaica to host regional forestry conference

Jamaica will host the 32nd session of the Latin America and the Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC) from Septe...

Forestry Department to Increase Seedling Production Capacity

The Forestry Department is constructing three (3) shade houses to increase its seedling production capacity to m...

Forestry Department tests environmentally-friendly bags in it’s nursery operations

The Forestry Department is moving to make its seedling production process more environmentally friendly as the A...

Over 400 trees planted for Earth Day

Over 400 trees were planted in sections of Clarendon, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Ann on April 22 in obser...

Man Plants 400 Acres of Forest in Portland

With a last name that literally translates to ‘mountain peak’, it is no wonder that Dr. Satyanarayana Parvatanen...

Doctor Plants 130,000 Trees towards Three Million Trees Goal

Since the launch of the National Tree Planting Initiative (NTPI) by the Most Honourable Prime Minister Andrew Ho...

Over 70 trees planted at Correctional Centres

The Forestry Department has kicked off a partnership with the Ministry of National Security to plant trees at co...

Ground-Truthing Exercise for the Boundary of the Area to be Protected as Cockpit Countr...

The Forestry Department has completed the ground-truthing activity for the boundary of the area to be protected ...

Forestry Department Distributes 80 Trees for World Wildlife Day

The Forestry Department has distributed 80 trees to be planted at five (5) schools in observance of World Wildli...

Forestry Department Launches #MyTreeLegacy Promotion

The Forestry Department today launched its latest promotion in support of the National Tree Planting Initiative,...

Forestry Department urges sawmill operators to get regularised

The Forestry Department is urging sawmill operators to become regularised or run the risk of being prosecuted an...

Mangrove Forests- A Lesson on Resilience

Inland mangroves are proving more likely to recover and survive changes in their environment once anthropogenic ...

Food for the Poor to Plant One Million Fruit and Timber Trees

The Forestry Department has secured a commitment to plant one million fruit and timber trees over the next three...

Forestry Department Clamps Down on Illegal Activities

Two men have been found guilty of breaches of the Forest Act (1996), and Forest Regulations (2001), as the Fores...

Alternative Livelihood Projects: Indicator 4- EU Budget Support Programme

For most Jamaicans, the buzz of bees is often met with the instinct to run away. However, in the rural community...

Man fined $150,000 for breaches of the Forest Act

Mr. Leroy Brown, a resident of a Faiths Pen address in St. Ann was found guilty of carrying on forest industry a...

Forestry Department Urges Jamaicans to Plant Trees to Promote Health and Wellness

The Forestry Department is urging every Jamaican to plant at least one tree on October 2, 2020. This call is bei...

Manchester Man Plants 2000 Bitter Damsel Trees

Do you know the saying, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’? Well, this statement proved true for Martin Brow...

Solutions lie in our Forests

Forests are more than trees, they are an interdependent community of plants, animals and other organisms. Approx...

Cockpit Country: Jamaica’s Treasure Trove of Biological Diversity

Stretched along the west-central coast of Jamaica, lies the island’s largest contiguous area of natural, mainly ...

Where Land Meets the Sea: Mangrove Ecosystems Protecting Our Coasts and Marine Life

Mangrove forests have in the past fallen victim to competing land uses, with some of the major threats to their ...

Watering Dreams: Primary School Benefits from Water Harvesting Structure

Students and teachers at the Duanvale Primary SChool, Trelawny are a shower of rain away from experiencing the f...

Forestry Dept. on Track to Achieve EU Targets

The Acting CEO & Conservator of Forests, Ms. Rainee Oliphant says the Forestry Department is on track to achieve...

Thousands of trees distributed under 3 Million Trees Planting Initiative

Over 85,000 seedlings have been distributed and 57 hectares planted in forest estates across the island under th...

The Forestry Department receives J$128 million from the EU to increase efficiency, sust...

Jamaica's push to become an efficient player in the Green Economy is set to receive a major boost through a €850...

Sawyers LMFC Establishes Automatic Weather Station

The Sawyers Local Forest Management Committee (LFMC) has established an automatic weather station which presiden...

Private Forestry Programme: 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Private Forestry Programme is an initiative of the Forestry Department aimed at encouraging private landowne...

Corporate entities make pledges towards 3 million trees initiative

Two corporate entities have made pledges to contribute to the Government of Jamaica's National Tree Planting Ini...

Forestry Department encourages Jamaicans to 'plant yuh owna tree'

The Forestry Department is encouraging all Jamaicans to give back to their communities by planting trees on Nati...

First boundary monument installed in area to be protected as Cockpit Country

The first permanent boundary monument, delineating the area to be declared protected as the Cockpit Country has ...

Over 17,000 Trees Distributed for Labour Day

The Forestry Department has distributed over 17,700 seedlings in observation of Labour Day 2017 and is urging pe...

Forestry Department now Assessing Mangrove and Swamp Forests Island Wide

The Forestry Department has commenced its assessment of 7,000 hectares of mangrove forests across Jamaica as the...

Jamaica’s REDD+ Journey Gets Financial Boost

Jamaica’s journey to REDD+ readiness has been made easier through the receipt of funds under the Green Climate F...

Plant Trees to Mitigate Climate Change- Forestry Department

As Jamaica marches closer to a predicted state of climate departure, the Forestry Department is urging Jamaicans...

Forestry Department Urges Public to Prune Trees this Hurricane Season

In light of predictions for an active hurricane season, the Forestry Department is urging persons to inspect tre...

Men Fined for Operating Without Sawmill Licences

Two men have been fined after they were found guilty of operating without a sawmill licence when they appeared i...

Forestry Department to hold Public Consultations on National Forest Management and Cons...

The Forestry Department will be hosting a series of public consultations across the island to get feedback from ...

Wetlands on the Decline, Jamaicans Urged to Value and Protect its Resources

The Forestry Department is reporting a 95.5 percent decline in swamp forest and is calling on Jamaicans to start...

Dolphin Head Forest Reserve dedicated to Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC)

Jamaica has dedicated the Dolphin Head forest reserve to be a part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) proj...

Minister Chang Urges Jamaicans to Plant Trees and Protect Forests

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Honourable Dr. Horace Chang, is ...

JMMB Adopts Over 2 Hectares of Land to Establish Forest Cover

The Forestry Department has partnered with the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Group for the establishment o...

Over 2000 trees planted for Earth Day 2016

The Forestry Department has partnered with several organizations across the island to plant more than 2000 trees...

Forestry Department Using Ground-Breaking Technology to Grow Tree Seedlings

The Forestry Department is leading the region in the production of the most diverse assortment of forest species...

Jamaica's forest cover increases, quality decreases

The Forestry Department announced that even though there was a national increase in forest cover, there was sign...

Forests Central to People's Needs and Climate Action

The sustainable management and conservation of forests must be considered in the design and implementation of th...