Law No. 25(I) of 2012 on Forestry.

This Law provides a framework for forestry and forest management in the Republic, and particularly focuses on: conservation, protection, sustainable management and development of forests and forested areas in the Republic; implementation of the National Forestry Policy; management and development of both State and private forests of the Republic. The Law defines the following relevant terms: immovable property; forest functions and services; forest fire; forest management plan; forest enterprise; forest park and national forest park; forest product; forest recreation area; forest officer; data collection; community management; private forest owner; animals, including goats, sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys, half-donkeys, pigs and their young; timber and timber products; protective forest; nature reserve; Christmas tree species. The Law identifies the following powers of the Director of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment: ensuring the implementation of the National Forest Policy and the National Forest Programme; preparing forest management plans; proposing the declaration of state forests, nature reserves, national forest parks, protective forests, forest parks, forest monuments, natural micro-reserves and community forests; issuing licenses; implementing all necessary measures for the prevention and suppression of forest fires; keeping records of forest product traders and forest enterprises; conducting research, collecting data, and information, preparing programmes, reports and plans and maintaining databases and geographical information systems; exercising the right of entry into private land, in order to apply the provisions of the Law.
The Law concerns the following matters: establishment and composition of the Forestry Advisory Board; preparation, adoption and implementation of the National Forest Policy and of the National Forest Programme; declaration and classification of forests, and requirements for declaring any forest area as State forest, including: extension, significant impact on the living conditions, and biodiversity and environment protection; establishment of Forest Extension Committee; power of acquisition of any immovable property, in order to ensure better protection and management of any state forest, and protection of species of forest flora or forest ecosystems; power of the Council of Ministers to grant, exchange, lease or dispose of land, trees or other immovable property in State forests; criteria and requirements for declaring national forest parks, protective forests and forest parks, forest monuments and natural micro-reserves; content of forest management plans, including mapping, inventory and other data that are available and relate to forest resources; consultation process; permits for logging, transportation and other work; declaration of community forests and measures for ensuring their management and conservation; recognition of private forest owners' organisation; offences and enforcement measures, including fire-related offences, illegal logging, cutting or causing damage to forest products and illegal transportation of round timber, illegal entry of animals.