Himachal Pradesh's forests hold a total wealth estimated at ₹9.95 lakh crore, reveals a 2025 report by the Institute of Forest Management Bhopal. The annual economic value of these forests is around ₹3.20 lakh crore, including ₹1.65 lakh crore from carbon sequestration and significant amounts from ecosystem services, biodiversity, water provisioning, and flood control. This rich ecological treasure benefits the whole country. Despite this, the State faces financial challenges in protecting these forests. Himachal Pradesh was once a Special Category State and got central financial support, but the 14th Finance Commission ended this status in 2015. Since then, the State has struggled with fiscal limits that do not fully consider its unique hill terrain and higher costs. The Finance Commissions have tried to support forest protection through mechanisms like the Green Bonus introduced by the 12th Finance Commission and by including forest cover into tax devolution formulas. The 15th Finance Commission added 'forest cover and ecology' as a criterion with a 10% weight. However, the current system mostly measures dense forest cover and ignores large ecological areas like glaciers and alpine pastures. Experts and former civil servants have urged the 16th Finance Commission to fix these issues and increase financial help. Archana Vaidya, a natural resource consultant and advocate, stresses that recognizing and funding Himalayan ecology properly is vital for the country’s ecological security. The message is clear: Himachal Pradesh’s forests are not just a local asset but a national treasure that deserves stronger support in budgets and policies.