For 50 years, Biriya Forest was a source of pride for the Jewish National Fund, which transformed the trees near Safed into a center for hikes and picnics. This summer's second Lebanon war changed all that: Parts of the forest were set alight by Katyusha rocket fire, and now it is in need of rehabilitation.

But despite the sad sight of burned trees, JNF officials see the fires as providing an opportunity to develop the forest anew, using modern forestry technology and avoiding the mistakes made in the past.

The JNF is examining the possibility of changing the composition of the flora in the Biriya Forest. Until now, it has looked pretty much like all forests in Israel: Trees of only a few types lined up in nearly straight rows. In addition, the forest has mainly been used for pleasure trips. The JNF has established a scientific committee, including many experts from academia, to recommend what the new forest should look like.

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"[Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan] Nasrallah arranged for us here an opportunity to examine various elements of the forest's function," said Prof. Avi Perevolotsky, a member of the committee, on a trip to the forest last week.

According to the new approach the JNF wants to adopt, there will be no planting in a third of the forested area burned in the north, allowing the vegetation to grow back naturally. A third of the area will be dedicated to an integration of natural growth and planting, and trees will be planted throughout the final third. Trees including oak, cedars and cypresses - which have shown themselves to be the type of tree that is best able to withstand fire - will be planted in Biriya Forest, as well as pomegranate and olive trees.

The members of the scientific committee are split over the best method of forest rehabilitation. Some think Biriya was a successful pine forest and that forests with tall trees should be preserved, to give Israelis some leisure space. Others think that before the fire, the area was a mix of pine forest and natural thickets and want to see more of the same. Still others - including Gershon Avneri, a leading JNF official - emphasize the importance of involving the public in making decisions connected to forestry.

During the course of the war, 12,000 dunams of forested area in the north of the country were burned. Some 250 rockets hit Biriya Forest alone, burning more than 1,000 dunams. Some 350 rockets hit the nearby Ramot Naftali Forest.

"In the Biriya Forest, we took control of most of the fires; there were three Katyushas that caused the large fires," said Dr. Omri Boneh, who is in charge of the northern district for the JNF. "In Ramot Naftali, barrages of more than 10 Katyushas fell and we couldn't stop the fire."

The Biriya Forest is already in the process of being cleared of burnt trees and is being prepared for rehabilitation. Many of the charred trees were cleared by a contractor who crushes them; it is still not clear what will be done with the remains.