Forstjórn

Forstjórn is a term used in Icelandic to denote the administration or governance of forests. It refers to the organizational framework responsible for shaping forest policy, regulating harvesting, and coordinating activities related to forest health, conservation, and land use. The word combines elements that mean forest and administration, and is commonly found in public and academic discussions of natural-resource governance in Nordic contexts.

In practice, a forstjórn can be a national or regional body, such as a ministry, agency, or directorate charged with forestry matters within a government structure. Core functions typically include policy development, licensing and supervision of timber harvesting, reforestation and afforestation programs, monitoring forest health and biodiversity, managing protected forest areas, supporting forestry research, and advising other sectors such as agriculture, land use planning, and environmental protection.

Historically, many Nordic countries developed formal forest administrations as part of broader natural-resource governance. In Icelandic administrative literature, forstjórn has referred to the sector responsible for forestry within larger environmental or agricultural agencies, with authority varying over time as policies and institutions evolved.

See also: forestry, forest policy, public administration, natural-resource management.