The General Department of Forestry, established in 1953 and merged with the Ministry of Forest Industry in 1957. Based on the decision of the Supreme Council of the SSR of Armenia of March 24, 1966, by order of June 21, a State Committee for Forestry was established on the basis of the General Department of Forestry, which was subordinated to the State Forestry Committee of the USSR in Moscow, as well as to the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The central apparatus of the State Committee of Forestry Economy was located in the city of Yerevan.

The State Committee had the following structure.

Management

Department of Forest Utilization, Conservation and Protection

Department of Forestry and Forestry

Fruit and vegetable department

Department of hunting economy

Department of material and technical supply

Department of capital construction

Human resources department

Accounting

Technical safety inspector

A number of specialized enterprises, which were called to solve narrow professional problems, also operated within the structure of the RA State Committee for Forestry Economy. Scientific Research Forest Experimental Station (STEM) carried out scientific research, scientific experimental works, localization of advanced forestry experience and investment in production. GITAPC cooperated with the forestry department of the Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as with other forestry institutes and centers of the USSR. The forest seed station carried out seed quality inspection, grading and registration. All forestry enterprises submitted the samples of seeds procured to the forest seed station for inspection, order determination and registration. The forest reclamation station carried out forest reclamation measures in the areas being prepared for afforestation and reforestation. The Forest Protection Station carried out forest pathology studies, diagnosis of forest pests and diseases, damage forecasts, design of damage prevention measures and implements these measures in a centralized manner. The specialists of the Forest Protection Station cooperated with the specialists of the Forest Protection Laboratory of the Research Institute of Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture, jointly carried out scientific research works, forecasts of the mass multiplication of harmful organisms and harmfulness, development of complex measures to prevent harmfulness. The Yeghvard farm was centrally engaged in the cultivation of planting material and provided planting material to the forests in the lowland zone. In the Republic of Armenia, forestry works and the development of forestry projects were carried out in a centralized manner by the specialized forestry detachments operating within the Transcaucasian Scientific Research Institute of Forestry (located in Georgia). At least once every 10 years, forest construction works and development of forest construction projects were carried out in the territory of the forest fund of each forestry, and forest fund accounting was carried out every 5 years. The above-mentioned forest management system contained all the necessary institutional structures, specialist posts to implement effective centralized management in the territory of the entire forest fund of the USSR. The main drawback of the mentioned system was that it did not provide for the effective management of collective and state-owned forests, it was designed exclusively for the management of state-owned forests. There were no defined mechanisms for collective and state-owned forests management, forestry management, protection, protection, state control and financing. And although the forestry works were fully implemented, the forestry projects were fully developed, but their implementation could not be completed due to the imperfection of the management system and the lack of specialists. This explains the deteriorating condition of these forests year by year. Management of forestry was at a low level, care and restoration measures were almost not carried out in the planned volumes. According to the decision No. 362 of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of June 24, 1988, the State Committee of Forestry Economy becomes “Hayantar” Forestry Economic Production Unit.

N	Name of districts	Ha
1	Ararat	194
2	Artashat	27
3	Ashtarak	51
4	Vayk	360
5	Goris	2285
6	Gugark	769
7	Egheknadzor	962
8	Ijevan	7185
9	Kapan	20881
10	Krasnoselsk	226
11	Kotayk	20
12	Meghri	4634
13	Nairi	113
14	Noemberyan	2150
15	Razdan	1749
16	Sisian	564
17	Stepanavan	544
18	Tumanyan	5781
19	Tavush	5959

After the collapse of the USSR and the independence of the Republic of Armenia (1991), the “Hayantar” forestry and economic production association continued to operate for some time (until February 1992) with the same status and structure, but was directly subordinated to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Armenia and fully financed from the budget of the Republic of Armenia. From January 1992, by order of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the “Hayantar” forestry production unit was incorporated into the RA Ministry of Agriculture and Food as the “Hayantar” forestry production unit. During the mentioned period, for known reasons, the Republic of Armenia was in an economic and energy crisis and it was impossible to finance the forest sector at the same level. Naturally, along with the reduction of funding, the institutional structures and posts of a number of positions were also reduced. In the 90s of the 20th century, the forest reclamation station, the forest seed station, the forest protection station, and the research forest experiment station were dissolved. A number of forest farms were merged and their total number decreased from 40 to 30. Forestry, like other sectors of the republic, was in deep crisis. According to the decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia No. 108 of August 29, 1995, the “Hayantar” forestry production association of the RA Ministry of Agriculture and Food was transferred to the subordination of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection and Subsoil and was reorganized as the “Hayantar” state enterprise of the National Forestry Service of Armenia. According to the RA government’s decision No. 538 of November 27, 1997, and the order of the RA Minister of Nature Protection No. 123 of October 1, 1998, the state enterprise “Hayantar” was reorganized as “Hayantar” SCJSC (state closed joint-stock company), and the forest manager of the state enterprise “Hayantar” the production units were separated from the subsidiaries and they were reorganized as subsidiaries of “Hayantar” SCJSC. Such restructuring turned Hayantar into a profit-seeking organization. In addition, the functions of state management and state control were entrusted to one body, the RA Ministry of Nature Protection and Subsoil. The given status and minimized funding did not contribute to the improvement of the forest sector. The exact opposite happened: illegal logging increased, the volumes of planned forestry measures were reduced to a minimum, especially reforestation, afforestation, forest protection and other important works. 1997-1998 The state reserves were removed from the subordination of “Hayantar” SCJSC, the Yeghvard state nursery and arboretums were handed over to the direct subordination of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection and Subsoil. Significant changes in the forest management system and institutional structures took place. According to the decision No. 7-N of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated January 15, 2004, “Hayantar” was once again placed under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia. Thus, the functions of forest management and state control were partially separated, which until then were fully carried out by the same body, the RA Ministry of Nature Protection, but a significant part of the forest fund continues to be managed by the Ministry of Nature Protection. According to the RA Government’s decision No. 1054 of July 25, 2002, “Hayantar” SNCO (state non-commercial organization) was established, which received state registration in June 2005. On the basis of the July 19 order No. 116-A of the RA Minister of Agriculture, 22 branches were established from October 1, 2005. Currently, “Hayantar” SNOC has 17 branches, including 7 in Lori region, 4 in Tavush region, 3 in Syunik region and one each in Kotayk, Shirak, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn regions. RA President’s 2017 by the decree of December 20, a Forestry State Committee was established, which operates as a Forestry Committee according to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On the Bodies of the State Management System”, and by the government’s decision 580-A of May 22, 2018, it operates as a subordinate body of the Ministry of Nature Protection.