Tamil Nadu’s forest management began with timber exploitation in the early 1800s, formalized with the creation of the Forest Department in 1856, strengthened by the Madras Forest Act of 1882 and the National Forest Policy of 1894, guided post-independence by the 1952 Policy and regeneration efforts, shifted in the 1980s from timber harvest to conservation, and since the 1988 Policy has focused on ecological security, eco-restoration, wildlife protection, and community livelihoods, recognizing forests as vital for air, water, soil, biodiversity, and socio-economic growth.