PHA appoints tree officers to strengthen tree protection

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2026) The Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has designated Tree Officers in major district agencies to strengthen tree protection, monitoring, and conservation efforts across the province.

According to a spokesperson on Sunday, the appointments have been made under newly adopted tree protection regulations approved earlier this year by the umbrella body of district horticulture agencies. In accordance with the regulations, the Director General of PHA is authorized to designate one or more Tree Officers for each agency.

Tree Officers have already been appointed in Lahore, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sargodha, while the remaining districts are expected to nominate suitable officers in the coming days.

Under the new framework, Tree Officers will be responsible for maintaining and updating a comprehensive tree inventory, including GIS-based mapping, conducting periodic inspections, and processing applications related to tree felling, pruning and transplantation. They will also present such cases before technical committees for review and approval.

The spokesperson said each district agency would establish a technical committee comprising independent experts, including arborists, foresters, environmentalists and botanists, to evaluate requests for tree removal, pruning or transplantation. The Tree Officer will serve as secretary of the committee.

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The officers will also oversee compensatory plantation initiatives and monitor the survival of replanted trees for at least three years. Their responsibilities include identifying and maintaining records of Heritage Trees, initiating legal proceedings against violators, issuing notices, recommending penalties, and submitting quarterly compliance reports to the managing directors of respective horticulture agencies.

In addition, Tree Officers will coordinate with government departments on infrastructure projects that may affect trees and will be empowered to impose fines and penalties under the applicable regulations.

To support field operations, the department will also designate Assistant Tree Officers (ATOs), who will assist in inspections, field verification, plantation monitoring, technical assessments, and maintenance of photographic and digital records.

Reaffirming the department’s commitment to environmental protection, the spokesperson said PHA follows a zero-tolerance policy against illegal tree cutting. He added that tree conservation remains a top priority of the Punjab government and the department, which has launched extensive plantation drives across districts and undertaken awareness initiatives to educate younger generations about the importance of trees, forests and environmental sustainability.