1. To study and work out guiding principle and policy for development of forest ecological environment, conservation of forest resources and greening of the territory; formulate relevant laws and regulations and supervise their implementation.

2. To work out and implement the national forestry development strategy and the middle-and-long-term development plan, manage central forestry fund and supervise management and use of national forestry fund.

3. To organize and conduct tree planting and afforestation and mountain closure; organize and provide guidance for controlling water and soil erosion, preventing and combating desertification and sandification by taking biological measures including tree and grass planting; organize and coordinate implementation of international conventions covering the convention to combat desertification; provide guidance for development and management of the state-owned forest farms (nurseries), forest parks and forestry institutions at grass-roots level.

4. To conduct and provide guidance for management of forest resources (including economic forests, fuel-wood forests, tropical forest crops, mangrove forests and forests for special purpose); manage the state-owned forest resources in the key forest areas identified by the State Council and station forest resource supervision organs in the key forest areas; carry out the national forest resource inventory, dynamic monitoring and statistics; audit and supervise forest resource use; compile forest logging quota and supervise implementation of the quota after approval of the State Council; supervise license-based logging and transportation of timber and bamboo forests; organize and provide guidance for management of forest land and forest rights, conduct preliminary check of occupying and taking over forest land approved by the State Council according to law.

5. To organize and provide guidance for conservation, wise exploitation and use of terrestrial wild fauna and flora; work out and adjust the name list of key wild fauna and flora for national protection and issue it after approval of the State Council; provide guidance for development and management of nature reserves in forest and terrestrial wildlife types; organize and coordinate national wetland conservation and implement relevant international conventions; be responsible for examining and approving import and export of endangered species, and export of wild animals and precious wild plants for national protection and their by-products, and implementing relevant international conventions.

6. To organize, coordinate, guide and supervise national forest fire prevention and control; provide guidance for national forest police work; organize and provide guidance in the country for forest pest and disease control and quarantine, protection of new varieties of plants and biological control of forest invasive species; shoulder the responsibility of leadership of the armed forest police and be responsible for its professional work.

7. To study and put forward economic regulation suggestions on forestry development; supervise the state-owned forestry estates; examine and approve key forestry development programs.

8. To provide guidance for cultivation of various kinds of commercial forests (including timber forests, economic forests, fuel-wood forests, forests for herbal medicine production, bamboo forests and forests for special purposes) and landscape forests; provide guidance for management of national wood industry.

9. To organize and provide guidance for forestry science and technology, education and foreign affairs; provide guidance for development of national forestry ranks.

10. To undertake other activities given by the State Council.