PHA appoints tree officers across Punjab

LAHORE, Jun 07 (APP): Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has designated senior officers as Tree Officers in major district agencies to ensure effective tree protection, digital record maintenance, replanting supervision, and enforcement of horticulture regulations across the province.

A spokesperson for the PHA said on Sunday the appointments had been made under tree protection regulations adopted earlier this year by the umbrella body of district horticulture agencies. Under the new framework, the PHA Director General was authorized to appoint one or more Tree Officers for each district agency.

The spokesperson said that Tree Officers had already been designated in Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Sargodha, while appointments in the remaining districts were expected in the coming days.

Under the regulations, Tree Officers would maintain and regularly update a Comprehensive Tree Inventory Record, including GIS-based mapping of trees, and conduct periodic inspections within their jurisdictions. They will also examine applications related to tree felling, pruning, and transplantation, and present such cases before a technical committee for approval.

Each district agency would establish a technical committee comprising independent experts, including arborists, foresters, environmentalists, and botanists, to review requests concerning tree removal, pruning, or transplantation. The Tree Officer will serve as the committee’s secretary.

The officers will also oversee compensatory plantation initiatives and monitor the survival of newly planted trees for at least three years. Their responsibilities further include identifying and maintaining records of Heritage Trees, initiating action against violators through notices and penalty recommendations, and submitting quarterly compliance and preservation reports to the managing directors of the respective horticulture agencies.

In addition, Tree Officers will coordinate with government departments on infrastructure projects affecting trees and will be empowered to impose fines and penalties where required.

To support field operations, the department will also appoint Assistant Tree Officers (ATOs).

These officers will assist with inspections, field verification, monitoring plantation sites, preparing technical assessment reports, and maintaining photographic and digital records.

The PHA spokesperson reiterated the department’s zero-tolerance policy towards illegal tree cutting, emphasizing that tree protection remains a top priority of both the Punjab government and the authority.

He added that extensive plantation campaigns were being carried out across districts to improve the environment and climate, while awareness initiatives were also being undertaken to educate younger generations about the importance of trees and forests.