Karnataka Forest Department, in the Government, is under the Hon’ble Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment and the Administrative Department in the Karnataka Government Secretariat is under the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Forest, Ecology & Environment Department.
For the purpose of territorial administration, the Department is organized into Beats, Sections, Ranges, Sub-Divisions, Divisions and Circles, headed by Forest Guard, Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO), Range Forest Officer (RFO), Asst., Conservator of Forests (ACF), Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) and Chief Conservator of Foresters (CCF) respectively. The Department is headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force). Each of the Revenue Districts has a Social Forestry Division headed by a Deputy Conservator of Forests, attached to Zilla Panchayath administratively. Social Forestry Divisions take up afforestation outside the notified forest areas and promote farm forestry and agroforestry.
The Wildlife protected areas is organized into Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves. Wildlife wing of the Department is headed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden. In addition to the above territorial units, the department has Working Plan, Research, Training, Evaluation, Vigilance, ICT cell, and Mobile Squads, as functional units.
(For more details, please download the Karnataka Forest Department annual report 2017 - 18, from aranya.gov.in)
