It was established in 1981 as a successor of Pre- Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR), with the objective of carrying out the assessment of country’s forest resources on a regular interval.
Important functions undertaken by the organization include,
To prepare State of Forest Report biennially, providing assessment of latest forest cover in the country and monitoring changes in these.
To conduct inventory in forest and non-forest areas and develop database on forest tree resources.
To prepare thematic maps on 1:50,000 scales, using aerial photographs.
To function as a nodal agency for collection, compilation, storage and dissemination of spatial database on forest resources.