Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Number 7 of 2021 concerning Forestry Planning, Changes in the Designation and Function of Forest Areas, and the Use of Forest Areas.

This Ministerial Regulation, in order to implement the provisions of Article 52, Article 88, and Article 116 of Government Regulation Number 23 of 2021 concerning Forestry Implementation, focuses on: forestry planning, changes in the function and designation of forest areas, and the use of forest areas, measures for ensuring forest management, and legal basis for forest area management. The Regulation defines the following relevant terms: Forestry management; forest ecosystem; forest area; State forests; forest rights; territory of customary law communities; State forest area; customary forest area; conservation forest; protection forest measures, including: protection of ecosystem, water management regulation, preventing flooding and seawater intrusion, controlling erosion, and maintaining soil fertility; production forest; permanent forest; integrated forest management, including planning, research, development, education and training; forest inventory; forest boundary delimitation; forest area mapping; river basin area; change in forest area functions; use of forest areas for development purposes; integrated research; non-tax state revenue from the use of forest areas; compensation; adequacy of forest area; strategic environmental assessment; forest and land rehabilitation measures; forest management plan; utilisation of timber and non-timber forest products; forestry protection measures; forest conservation and reforestation programmes; forestry information system; forest monitoring; forest area map; forest area boundary map; geographic coordinates; natural and artificial boundaries; forest spatial planning; land rights; land control inventory; land acquisition; cultivated land; forestry extension; community empowerment; forest management unit; forestry development plan; forestry permit; food security; forest area specifically designated for the purposes of Food Security; administrative fines and sanctions; environmental planning; environmental management and environmental monitoring efforts; social forestry.
This Regulation focuses on the following matters relevant to forestry planning and forest area management: conservation, protection and production; forest inventory, forest area confirmation, forest area utilisation planning, forest management unit formation, and forestry development planning; data collection, monitoring, and quality control requirements; protection of watershed; procedures for ensuring designation, boundary setting, mapping, and official determination of forest areas; formation of boundary commission teams at provincial and local levels, coordination, and documentation requirements; formation of forest management units to manage forest areas efficiently and sustainably; partial changes in forest area designation and functions, including approval procedures for releasing forest areas for non-forestry uses, utilisation approvals, and related spatial and legal assessments; procedures for settlements of land tenure and use inside forest areas, with roles for government, rights holders, customary communities; verifications and dispute resolutions through multi-stakeholder teams; monitoring, evaluation, and reporting requirements for forest planning, land use, and boundary management.