The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, I.P.''), ICNF, is the responsible governmental body for the

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

and

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

policies, including the management of

Protected Areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

and State managed national, municipal and communal forests of mainland

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

History

The ICNF was formed in 2012 by the merging of the Autoridade Florestal Nacional (and the Fundo Florestal Permanent) with the ''Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e Biodiversidade'' (''Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity''), under Decree-Law 135/2012 (29 June 2012).

Organization

The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry is a public institute, indirectly administrated by the Portuguese State, endowed with administrative and financial autonomy and its own assets. The ICNF's mission is to propose, monitor and ensure the implementation of policies in the fields of nature conservancy and forests, to promote the conservation, sustainable use, appreciation, and enjoyment of the natural heritage. It is also in charge of the promotion and sustainable development of forest resources, to allow increased competitiveness along the forestry-to-industry chain, but also to defend hunting resources and fishing and aquaculture on inland waters.

References

;Notes Protected areas of Portugal Government of Portugal {{Europe-protected-area-stub