Forest Department in Uttarakhand is responsible for managing some of the richest forests and biodiversity in India . These are spread over a landscape that includes plains where the tall Sal trees and myriad other plant species hold sway. Tigers, Elephants, Deer, Antelopes, King Cobras, Pythons, a large number of bird species, amongst so many other animal species, inhabit these forests, bush and grasslands. The Himalayas to the north of the plains country are covered with the green of pines, cedar, fir, oaks etc. and during part of the year, blushes of rhododendrons cover the slopes of our hills. Above the tree line are found the grasslands, locally called bugyals , and beyond them the perpetual snows rise way beyond 25000 feet above mean sea level. Wildlife like Leopards, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Brown Bear, Musk Deer, many wild fowls, are some of the representatives of rich wildlife inhabiting these forests. The mighty, crystal clear rivers and lakes that have a rich aquatic biodiversity including some of the best game fishes of the World including the trouts and the magnificent Mahseer.

The Forest Department of Uttarakhand is one of the oldest in India with a history of forestry reaching back by about 150 years into the middle of the nineteenth century. This historical depth and experience is an enabling factor in competently managing the climatic, geographical and genetic variety of forests and wildlife.