Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) has signed a declaration designating eight forests as natural reserves near the northern border, covering approximately 27,000 dunams (27 sq.km).
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 900,000 dunams declared as forest reserves out of approximately 1.5 million dunams of planted forests. This move ensures that the 27,000 dunams will have statutory protection, reducing harm and preventing changes in land use.
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Until now, some of the areas have relied on outdated declarations or partial status (such as open land designation) that have not always withstood various pressures.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 Haider, Har Sasa, Netua Tsunem, 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.
Israel has about 900,000 dunams of forest reserves
Netua Tsunem, Har Sasa, Kadrim, and Shefer are new reserves, while Psota, Tarbikha, Har Haider, and Wadi Limon have updated or replaced older declarations. Israel currently has about 900,000 dunams declared as forest reserves out of 1.5 million dunams of planted forests.
Among the declared reserves, the three largest are: Netua Tzunam Forest (8,513 dunams), located between the communities of Granot HaGalil, Shomera, Even Menachem, Netua, Matat, Elkosh, Fassouta, and Abirim; Kadrim Forest (6,827 dunams), between the communities of Kadrim, Kalanit, Kfar Hananya, and Maghar; and Har Sasa Forest (5,777 dunams), between the communities of Elkosh and Dovev.
“The declaration of eight new forest reserves in the north, anchoring their status and preserving the green and lush character of the area, is joyful and exciting," Dichter said.
"It is uplifting in routine times and even more so during times of war, when its marks on the field, including open spaces, are evident along the entire northern border. I thank Dr. Barkai and his team for leading this important initiative in such a strategic area for the State of Israel,” he added.
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