Department of Forests and Park Services

21/03/2026

Today, we do not just celebrate our forests—we celebrate and honour the people behind them

Our forests stand tall because of the visionary leadership of our beloved Monarchs, the dedication of our foresters, and the quiet sacrifices of the Bhutanese people; farmers, villagers, and families who have protected nature as a way of life.

From rugged mountains to sacred groves, their legacy lives on in every tree, every river, and every breath of clean air we enjoy today.

As we join the world in celebrating International Day of Forests, Bhutan continues to stand as a carbon-negative nation and a beacon of conservation.

May our forests always remain the sacred heart of our nation.

# International Day of Forests 🌳

17/03/2026

A Lifetime in Service: Department Bids Farewell to Chief Forestry Officer Mr. Pankey Dukpa on March 1 2026

The Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) bids farewell to Mr. Pankey Dukpa, Chief Forestry Officer, Bumthang DFO marking the conclusion of an extraordinary thirty nine years of career dedicated to the conservation and management of Bhutan's rich natural heritage.

Mr. Pankey Dukpa officially retired from the civil service on March 1, 2026, having completed almost four decades of unwavering service from 1986 to 2026. His journey stands as a testament to dedication, resilience, and an abiding commitment to the nation's forests and its people.

*A Career of Dedication and Leadership*
Mr. Pankey Dukpa began his journey in the forestry sector on November 1, 1986, as a Forester at the Bhutan Forestry Institute in Taba, Thimphu. Within a year, he was posted to the Bumthang Division, a region that would remain central throughout his career. His dedication and competence led to his promotion to Forest Ranger in 1993.

Beyond administrative roles, Mr. Pankey Dukpa was a dedicated mentor. In 1998, he joined the Natural Resources Training Institute (NRTI) in Lobesa, now the College of Natural Resources, where he served as an instructor and helped shape the next generation of forestry professionals.

His field postings took him to some of Bhutan's most vital landscapes. In the early 2000s, he served as Dzongkhag Forest Officer in Zhemgang, followed by a nearly five-year tenure at the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in Trashiyangtse, where he held the positions of Senior Forestry Officer and later Deputy Chief Forestry Officer.

In 2016, he reached the pinnacle of his career with his appointment as Chief Forestry Officer at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, one of Bhutan's most important conservation areas. His leadership was instrumental in harmonizing conservation goals with the needs of local communities. In March 2019, he returned once more to Bumthang, serving at the Divisional Forest Office until his retirement.

*A Legacy of Wisdom and Stability*
Throughout his forty-year career, Mr. Pankey Dukpa witnessed significant institutional changes, serving under the Ministry of Agriculture and later the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Through it all, he remained a steady and guiding presence, offering wisdom and stability to colleagues and subordinates alike.

As Mr. Pankey Dukpa steps into a well-deserved retirement, the Department extends its deepest gratitude for his four decades of service. His Journey not just reflect a timeline but far more than a series of postings. It reflects a life dedicated to Bhutan’s forests and the people who depend on them. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of forestry professionals.

On behalf of the Department of Forests and Park Services, we offer our sincere wishes for good health, happiness, and peace in the years ahead.
“May the protective deities of our mountains and forests always watch over you.”

Bumthang Forest Division, Bhutan Forest Monitoring and Information Division Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary

16/03/2026

First day of 2nd cohort “Judicial Workshop and Dialogue on Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade”jointly organized by the ༄། །འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཁྲིམས་དོན་གཙུག་སྡེ། Bhutan National Legal Institute་, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan, (Department of Forests and Park Services and Legal Services Division) and WWF Bhutan. The workshop is scheduled for March 16-18, 2026.

13/03/2026

Judicial Workshop and Dialogue on Wildlife Poaching and Illegal Trade

Bhutan’s constitutional commitment to environmental and biodiversity conservation are at the center of governance and justice. Despite the country’s strong conservation achievements, wildlife offenses and illegal wildlife trade (IWT) continue to evolve, influenced by regional and global factors such as cross-border trafficking, organized criminal networks, and the increasing use of digital platforms for trading wildlife products.

The Judiciary plays a critical role in addressing these challenges through the interpretation of wildlife laws, assessment of evidence, and delivery of consistent and proportional sentencing. As wildlife offense becomes more complex, often involving cyber-enabled offences and transnational dimensions, there is growing importance in creating platforms for judicial dialogue and professional exchange to reflect on emerging legal and evidentiary issues.

To support this effort, the Judicial Workshop and Dialogue on Wildlife Crime is being organized in two batches from March 11–13 and March 16–18, 2026. Around 50 judges and Registrar from Dzongkhag and Drungkhag courts across Bhutan are participating in discussions on current wildlife offense trends, adjudicatory challenges, legal interpretations, and policy considerations. The dialogue will also examine practical issues related to investigation quality, evidentiary standards, and the use of forensic, digital, and morphological evidence in wildlife crime cases.

The workshop jointly organized by the Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) and Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan specifically Department of Forests and Park Services and Legal Services Division through support from WWF Bhutan.

This initiative is envisioned to strengthen understanding of wildlife crime as a serious transnational offence and encourage continued collaboration to enhance Bhutan’s judicial and institutional response to wildlife poaching and illegal trade.

25/02/2026

Final day of the 5th batch of GMC volunteer works, which commenced on 21/02/2026.. Department of Forests and Park Services with total strength of 245 contributed for 5 days.

23/02/2026

The Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) joining the nation in development of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC). DoFPS plays a pivotal role in nation building by contributing to the development of GMC through a strategic approach that harmonizes conservation with development, guided by the principle of coexistence. As Bhutan moves forward with this transformative city initiative, the Department is entrusted to ensure that environmental integrity remains at the forefront, protecting forest corridors and wildlife habitats, while facilitating sustainable infrastructure growth. Through the integration of robust environmental safeguards and strategies and biodiversity-sensitive landuse planning. Bhutan exemplifies how economic advancement and ecological responsibility can progress hand-in-hand. DoFPS exhibiting strong institutional solidarity and a deep national commitment to Bhutan’s vision of development that balances prosperity with environmental sustainability.

04/02/2026

04/02/2026

Advancing Bhutan’s Fight Against Wildlife Crime

Wildlife crime remains one of the most persistent challenges to conservation, driven by its secretive nature, high profitability, and transboundary networks. In line with the National Zero Poaching Strategy 2025–2029, Department of Forests and Park Services under the keen leadership is strengthening institutional capacity, enforcement, investigative tools, and prosecutorial functions to counter this threat.

The Countering Wildlife Trade Project, launched in 2022, enters its second phase (2025–2026) with a focus on strengthening enforcement and investigations, increasing interdiction of illegal trade, enhancing prosecutorial capacity, and promoting cross-border collaboration.

A key milestone under this initiative is Wildlife Species Identification App Development workshop from February 3-6,2026. The app will support law enforcement agencies in identifying species at points of interception while enabling citizens to report wildlife offences, roadkill and injuries, and human–wildlife conflict incidents. Featuring alerts, a dynamic database, and AI-enabled tools, the platform will strengthen enforcement, conservation, and public engagement.

Appreciation is extended to the GovTech, National Biodiversity Centre and all functional & field offices for their contributions, and to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), U.S. Department of State, and WWF Bhutan for their invaluable support.

Together, innovation, citizen participation, and strong institutional collaboration will help safeguard Bhutan’s natural heritage for generations come.

14/12/2025

As part of the national zero-poaching strategy, establishing strong institutional mechanisms such as instituting a National Wildlife Crime Committee and strengthening inter-agency capacities through a multifaceted approach to combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade have become essential. Wildlife crime is an organised and transnational offence, and Department of Forests and Park Services alone cannot effectively address it without coordinated efforts from multiple stakeholders.

To enhance interdiction efforts, 40 Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) officials manning Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) were trained on the legal framework governing wildlife protection, the status of wildlife crime in Bhutan, species schedules, CITES requirements, wildlife species identification, chain of custody and, critically, the operation of X-ray machines and image interpretation from December 10-12, 2025 at Phuntsholing. To date, the Department of Forests and Park Services in collaboration with WWF Bhutan and the RBP, has collectively trained 80 RBP official in four training occasions.

12/12/2025

The Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) is conducting a training workshop for Chief Forestry Officers (CFOs) from all field offices on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of forest management regimes and cross-cutting management areas. The workshop aims to strengthen institutional capacity for effective M&E, improve coordination, and enhance familiarity with forest resource assessment practices in the field.
The training focuses on ensuring consistency and uniformity in the methodologies, tools, reporting formats, and roles outlined in the Forest Monitoring and Evaluation Framework 2024 and the Forests and Nature Conservation Code of Best Management Practices 2021.

The workshop is being held from 8–12 December 2025 in Phuentsholing and organized by the Forest Monitoring and Information Division (FMID) with support from the IKI Living Landscape Project, WWF Bhutan.

In addition, FMID will provide awareness and sensitization on the Third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) related to the forestry sector and the High Forest, Low Deforestation (HFLD) Crediting Approach, to support further information dissemination among field officials.

10/11/2025

On the auspicious 70th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the DoFPS joins Nation in offering fervent prayers and aspiration for His Majesty's long life and good health.

27/10/2025

Forest Fire Prevention Measures for Global Peace Prayer Festival (4th-19th November, 2025)

On 24th October 2025, the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), in collaboration with the Desuung Organization, convened a strategic meeting at the DoFPS Conference Hall to finalize coordinated initiatives aimed at preventing forest fire outbreaks during the upcoming Global Peace Prayer, scheduled to be held in Thimphu from 4th to 19th November 2025.

As part of the preparedness measures:
✅ Foresters and Desuups will jointly conduct a door-to-door awareness campaign before the commencement of the event in Thimphu.
✅ During the festival, foresters will be stationed at key locations as designated “Fire Watchers” to monitor high-risk areas and ensure swift response to any fire-related incidents.
✅A public notification will be issued via BBS to announce a temporary ban on open fires as a preventive measures.
✅All the nearby Dzongkhags (Paro, Chukha, Wangdue, and Punakha) will implement monitoring and strengthen surveillance efforts by adopting the modality reflected above.
✅The Chief Forestry Officers (CFOs) of Thimphu, Paro, Gedu, and Wangdue will formally reach out to Community Forest Chairpersons across their respective regions, seeking their active support in preventing forest fires during this critical period.

This proactive collaboration underscores our shared commitment to safeguarding Bhutan’s forests and ensuring a peaceful and fire-resilient environment throughout the sacred gathering.