The Forest Department was one of the earliest government
agencies to be established in the State of Brunei. The principal role of the
forests in the early economic development of the country necessitated the
creation of a Forest Office in March 1933, based in Kuala Belait, where most
harvesting of forest produce was undertaken. Later on, extraction of timber and
other forest produce moved towards the eastern portion of the country,
particularly in the mangrove forest, and the hill forests in Temburong. Thus,
the headquarters of the Department was transferred to Brunei Town, now Bandar
Seri Begawan, in 1954.
(Pictured above) The First Forestry Headquarters in Kuala Belait.
In 1986, the Forest Research Center was
established in Sungai Liang in the Belait District. This was subsequently
expanded to also serve all field operations of the Department, thus becoming
the Brunei Forestry Center at Sungai Liang in 1992. During the same year, the Forestry
Headquarters in Jalan Roberts, Bandar Seri Begawan moved to Plaza Athirah, a
private building in Seri Commercial Complex.
The Forestry Department was under the Ministry of
Development until the creation of the Ministry of Industry and Primary
Resources in 1989. This Ministry consists of departments of Fisheries,
Agriculture, Forestry, and the Industry Units Buildings. The new building of
the Ministry at Jalan Menteri Besar in Bandar Seri Begawan was completed in
1995, and by March 1996 the Forestry Department HQ moved to that building.
Currently, the Forestry Department is under the Ministry of
Primary Resources and Tourism. The Ministry was recently established on 22nd
October of 2015. This establishment signifies His Majesty's aspirations to
enhance the growth of the primary resources sectors (namely agriculture,
fisheries and forestry) as well as the tourism sector in Brunei Darussalam. The
growth of these sectors will have a direct and significant contribution to the
sustainable economic growth and achieving Brunei Vision 2035.
