Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan, 1995.

The Act provides for the regulation of use of public and private forests and the protection of forests, wild animals and plants, and the conservation of soil and water resources. The 46 sections are divided into 9 Chapters: Preliminary (I); Forest management (II); Government Reserved Forests (III); Social and Community Forestry (IV); Transport and Trade of Forest Produce (V); Protected Areas (VI); Conservation of Wildlife (VII); Soil and Water Conservation Matters (VIII); Enforcement and Penalties (IX).
The Department of Forestry shall be responsible for "sustainable managing" of Government Reserved Forests and for the regulation of production, protection, transport and the sale of timber, other forest produce and wildlife, whether or not from Government Reserved Forests (sect. 4). Management plans shall be prepared by the Head of the Department or in the case of areas under private or community management by the responsible person or entity. Such plans are subject to approval of the Head of the Department. The contents of such plans are prescribed by paragraph (b) of section 5. No permit or licence shall be issued under this Act except in accordance with the applicable management plan (sect. 6). "All forests, defined as "any land and water body, whether or not under vegetative cover, in which no person has acquired a permanent and transferable right of use...", are declared to be Government Reserved Forests in section 8. Under section 9 the Government may declare any private registered land to be Government Reserved Forest for conservation purposes. The remaining sections of Chapter III regulate activities in Government Reserved Forests and forestry leases. The Ministry of Agriculture may make rules for the establishment of community forests on Government Reserved Forests (sect. 17) and may issue Social Forestry Rules with respect to the growing of crops on private land (sect. 16). The Government may declare any land to be one of the various kinds of protected areas as specified in paragraph (a) of section 21. If any private land is taken under this section, compensation or alternative land rights shall be provided in accordance with section 9. Provisions of Chapter VII restrict the taking, import and export of wildlife. Chapter VIII provides for regulation making powers of the Ministry of Agriculture with respect of soil and water conservation on private lands and grazing in Government Reserved Forests. Section 32 provides for powers of Forest Officers. The Act is completed by 2 Schedules listing protected animal and plant species.