The agency was responsible for performing researches on environmental sciences, climate change and its mitigation, and forestry in Indonesia.

Despite that, the transitional provision of the decree permitted the research centers/units under the former BLI/FORDA-MOF to be temporarily operated and supervised by BSI LHK until the integration to BRIN finalized.

[1] On 1 July 2021, the agency was confirmed to be dissolved de facto and replaced by BSI LHK thru Ministry of Environment and Forestry Decree No.

On 1 July 1897, Het Boswezen van Nederlandsch Oost Indie (literal English: Forest Service of Netherlands West Indies Government) was founded as one of 16 children agencies of Dutch colonial government's Departement van Landbouw, Nijverheid en Handel (Department of Agriculture, Industry, and Trade).

However, the forestry at that time was used by colonial government as tool for exploiting natural resources for people welfare and their activities much industrial-oriented.

At that time, the Empire of Japan government sent Professor Ryozo Kanehira [1] to Dutch East Indies and set him up as Director of Bosbouwproefstation.

During his time, the agency research was shifted to war purposes and researching wood technologies for supporting war, such as development of gunpowder and explosives, inventarization of hardwood for shipbuilding, air plane building, gun making, match production, developing natural tanning agents, etc.

[2] Despite the dissolution, the transitional provision of the decree permitted the research centers/units under the former BLI/FORDA-MOF to be temporarily operated and supervised by BSI LHK until the integration to BRIN finalized.