Eight New Forest Reserves in Israel
Israel's Ministry of Agriculture designates eight northern forests, totaling 7,000 acres, as new forest reserves to enhance protection.
Jerusalem, 31 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture determined that approximately 7,000 acres of forests, spanning eight different northern forests, will receive statutory status as reserves that will protect them and reduce damage and change their designation.
The new reserves include the forests of Mount Haidar, Mount Sassa, Natua Tsunim, Passuta, Tarbiha, Shefer, Kadrim, and Wadi Limon, with some constituting the declaration of new areas in accordance with current outline plans, and some being an update of historical declarations from the Mandate period, which do not reflect the current situation on the ground. The Natua Tsunim, Mount Sassa, Kadrim, and Shefer forests constitute new areas, while in the Passuta, Tarbiha, Mount Haidar, and Wadi Limon forests, old declarations were updated and replaced.
in Israel, over 250,000 acres are designated as forest reserves out of approximately 400,000 acres of planted forests.
The Ministry emphasized that this is a strategic move promoted by the National Forestry Officer, Dr. Erez Barkai, AS PART OF the policy to expand the areas of forest reserves in Israel and give them improved protection.
“This strengthens the status of forests in planning institutions, and gives them a significant protective envelope, which will help preserve open areas and ecosystems,” said the Ministry.
