Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry no. 17 of 2020 concerning Customary Forests and Private Forests Subject to Rights.

This Ministerial Regulation provides for the creation of customary forests and private forests, the mapping and determination of indigenous forests, rights and obligations related. The Regulation concerns and defines: forest; private and public forest; forest area; national forest; customary forest; forest utilisation; indigenous people; traditional knowledge; map of designation of indigenous forest. Matters covered by this Regulation concern: determination of customary forests; utilisation of environmental services; utilisation and collection of wood and non-wood forest products; forest management activities based on customary law; utilisation of land within a customary forest area; determination of private forests and related land rights; mapping of location; ministerial authorisation; tasks of verification team including: validity of documents, land cover conditions, the eligibility of the area, the existence of private forest in the declared area; functions of protection and conservation established by the government; integration of customary and private forests in the regional spatial plan; transfer of land rights; rights and obligations of customary and private forest right holders, including: protect the forest from environmental pollution, managing and utilising forest in accordance with local wisdom, applying traditional knowledge in genetic resources utilisation; sustainable utilisation of timber, non-timber forest products and environmental services; forest fires protection; financing measures.