Law on forests.

This Law hereby regulates the system and the management, use and monitoring of forests and forest land, based on the principles of sustainable management, economic and environmental acceptability and social responsibility.
All forests and forest land are of great interest to the Republic of Croatia and have special protection. Forests and forest land are of particular natural wealth and have general and economic functions of forests that provide a special way of planning, management and use on the principle of sustainable forest management.
Sustainable forestry management means the use of forests and forest land in a way that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and potential to fulfill the corresponding ecological, economic and social functions at local, national and global level and which does not cause damage to other ecosystems; the application of the principle of sustainable forest management to the present and future fulfillment of appropriate ecological, economic and social functions at local, national and global levels, taking into account the socioeconomic importance of forests and their contribution to rural development, is achieved through: the sustainable forest management and the multifaceted role of forests, whereby many goods and services are supplied and/or provided in a balanced way and forest protection is ensured; efficient use of resources, optimizing the contribution of forests, forestry sector and forest-related sectors to rural development, growth and job creation; responsibility for forests globally, promoting sustainable production and consumption of forest products.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia manages forests and forest land in the interest of the Republic of Croatia, according to the principle of publicity, predictability, efficiency and accountability and the issuance of documents and acts for the purpose of achieving the interests of the Republic of Croatia, the administration responsible for forestry entrusts its management rights, with the following: general public interest for the management of forests and forest land ensures the participation of the public concerned in defining the guidelines and objectives of the management, monitoring, use and disposal of forests and forest land under the National Forest Strategy, the National Forestry and Forest Management Plans; foreseeability principle of forest and forest management that ensures the principle of equal treatment in the same or similar cases as regards the management, use and disposal of forests and forest land, and the actions are prescribed and elaborated by subordinate legislation; principle of the effectiveness of forest management for the purpose of fulfillment of current and future appropriate ecological, economic and social functions at local, national and global level, taking into account the socioeconomic importance of forests and forest; principle of responsibility for forest management and forest land that ensures the assumption of responsibility, compliance with public interests and business processes that will have a positive impact on society, all based on the principle of sustainable management of natural resources.
This Law closely sets the following topics related to the forest sector: the principle of sustainable management; the general and economic functions of forests; realization of the republic of Croatia's interest in governance; competent authority; all-European criteria for sustainable forest management; detailed forest management and forest ecosystem protection; implementation of the European criteria and respect for the general interest; register of forestry areas; forest owners; public forests; remediation and artificial restoration within a certain time frame; implementation of forestry and forestry management works in protected areas; Croatian agricultural and forestry advisory service; the national forestry strategy, the national forestry programme and the national inventory of forest resources; forest management plans; management of forests and forests of special purpose; hunting management plans; timber and tree marking; prohibited actions in forests and on forest land; deforestation; monitoring of the health status of forests and consequential protection measures; register of forest ecosystem damage; forest fires; forest infrastructure; planning, designing, building and maintaining forest infrastructure; establishment of possible building rights in forests and forest land; land lease owned by the republic of Croatia; several fees and charges; forest damage compensation; securing, obtaining and allocating financial resources and compensation for general forest functions; administrative, inspection and expert supervision and forest inspector related issues and provisions; and offences and penalties.