Law No. 48/V/98 regulating forestry activity.

This Law regulates the forestry activity. It consists of 14 Chapters specifying authorized activities to be performed by public and private entities in order to protect national forests. It applies to trees and forests which are not cultivated for agricultural purposes, to the exercise of forestry activity and to land subject to the forestry regime or likely to be afforested within Cape Verde and provided that it is not intended for predominantly agricultural activities. It also establishes national administration competencies and actions to be carried out by the Government of Cape Verde for managing forestry resources. Chapter I defines all sectors relative to forestry activity (i.e. Forestry Services; Forest; Forestry Programme; Forestry Regime, etc.); Chapter II lays down competencies and duties of the Government and Local Administrations (including requirements to be satisfied by such administrations in order to benefit from financial incentives). Chapter III lists forestry programme purposes. Chapters IV-VII deal with forestry regime and forest management, specifying types of lands to be submitted to the aforementioned regime (rights of landowner, public and private lands, duration of forestry regime, prohibited activities, including the requirements for obtaining an authorization for agricultural and sylvo-pastoralism exploitation in such zones.). Chapters VIII-XI concern special protected areas management, reforestation activity and forest protection (including the prohibition of tree logging). Chapter X deals with private lands expropriation requirements. Chapter XII lays down the requirements for obtaining financial incentives, including different types of governmental assistance. Chapters XIII and XIV list controls to be carried out by competent authorities and sanctions to be paid by offenders for non authorized activities.