The Social Forestry Project was started in Jammu & Kashmir as a World Bank aided Project in 1981-82, initially for a period of five years. The Project was extended up-to 1990-91. Since then the Project works have continued as an activity under the State funding, to provide fuel-wood in the shortest possible time and to provide poles, small timber, fodder fruits and other minor forest products for basic requirements of the rural poor.

In the year 2001, vide Government Order No : 640-GAD of 2001 dated : 14-06-2001, the organization created under the World Bank assistance, was decided to be closed down and remained in the process of winding up till 10/2004 with a very low capital component. The Project Director/CCF was the head of the Organization till then.

The Government vide order No: 481-FST of 2004 dated: 28-10-2004 converted the Social Forestry Project into a full-fledged Department, headed by a Director of the rank of Chief Conservator of Forests, realizing fully well the need for reviving the Department enabling it to take up plantations into the degraded forest lands and wastelands on a massive scale in the following categories of plantations.

1. Raising of Village Wood Lots
2. Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests.
3. Raising of Strip Plantation.
4. Farm Forestry.
5. Institutional Plantations.

The main function of  Department of Social Forestry is to create nurseries to produce planting stocks, raise plantations, distribution of plant material to the people (rural/urban), farmers, Govt. agencies for planting in their premises/fields with an ultimate goal of Greening the State, improving the environment, generating the employment and conserving the natural forests.