PHA appoints tree officers for plant protection, maintenance

LAHORE, Jun 08 (APP): Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) has designated officers across major district agencies to inspect trees, maintain digital records, oversee replanting, and enforce horticulture regulations, a spokesperson announced.

Called Tree Officers, the senior officials have been designated in accordance with tree protection regulations adopted by the umbrella body of district horticulture agencies earlier this year. Under the regulations, the PHA director general will designate one or more Tree Officers for each agency.

Tree Officers have so far been designated in Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha and Lahore, the spokesperson said, adding that the remaining districts would assign the role to suitable officers in the coming days.

The Tree Officer will be responsible for maintaining and updating a comprehensive tree inventory record, including GIS-based mapping, and conducting periodic inspections of trees within the notified jurisdiction. The officer will examine and process applications

for tree felling, pruning, or transplantation, and present cases to a technical committee for approval of tree removal.