The development of forest policy in Israel in the 20th century: implications for the future

This paper discusses the development of afforestation policy in Israel during the 20th century and identifies the factors influencing its design and implementation. Analysis of the chronological development of the decision-making process by the organizations involved in afforestation identifies five stages characterized by changing goals and a change in the character of the forest created. During most of the period, planting forests provided a tool for realizing national goals, and a policy that was guided by changing tasks imposed by the officials of the Zionist movement, the British Mandate Authorities and the State of Israel. Afforestation was originally perceived as an agricultural activity, and thereafter as a tool for managing the national land reserve and as an aid for developing settlements. The physical by-products, resulting from applying this policy, have a considerable impact on the present distribution of recreational open spaces and on the size of public land reserves. However, the forests that were planted created a non-sustainable resource, characterized by landscape that is the result of decisions made by different institutions and that was foreign to the local Mediterranean forest. Future afforestation policy needs to further activities that alter the quality of the existing forest resource. It also needs to adapt it to vacationers and further the management of afforested land as a long-lasting resource, as well as its integration into the local natural vegetation and the environmental system.