Nature Conservation Act (No. 60 of 2013).

The purpose of this Act is to protect the future diversity of Icelandic nature, including biological and geological diversity and landscape diversity. It should ensure, as far as possible, the development of Icelandic nature on its own terms and the protection of what is unique or historic, and also contribute to the recovery of disturbed ecosystems and the increased resilience of Icelandic ecosystems to natural disasters and global environmental change. It also aims at the protection and sustainable use of resources and other natural resources.
The Act contains the following Chapters: I. Objectives, scope and definitions; II. Principles; III. Nature Conservation Board; IV. Public law, outdoor life and socializing; V. Off-road driving; VI. Register of Natural Heritage; VII. Protection of areas; VIII. Categories of protected areas; IX. Protection of water and geothermal areas and more; X. Protection of geological monuments, ecosystems, habitats and species; XI. Exotic species; XII. Planning, construction and more; XIII. Supervision and monitoring. XIV. Supervision and monitoring of natural reserves; XV. Coercive measures and sanctions; XVI. Various provisions.
The Act describes specific objectives for the conservation of habitats, ecosystems, and species, and for the conservation of geological monuments, water areas, landscapes and wilderness.
Article 13 describes the roles of different institutions. The Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources shall be in charge of nature conservation. The Environment and Food Agency shall supervise the implementation of the Act, grant permits, handle the supervision and operation of nature conservation areas, prepare management plans for protected areas, and provide education and advise to the Minister on nature conservation. The Icelandic Institute of Natural History shall handle, among other things, the registration of natural monuments and the assessment of their conservation value. In addition, each municipality shall have a three- to seven-member nature conservation committee that the local government elects for four years at a time, which shall advise local authorities on nature conservation issues, promote nature conservation in their respective areas, and make proposals for improvements to local authorities and the Environment Agency.
The Act regulates the rights and obligations of the public when engaging in outdoor activities, including movement, pedestrian traffic, cyclists' traffic, traffic on lakes, camping, fire, off-road driving, etc.
The Act also provides rules on the Register of Natural Heritage for natural monuments, including its content, revision, selection of natural monuments for inclusion, presentation and procedure, legal effect of registration, etc.
As regards the protection of areas, the Act contains rules on the preparation of protection, decision of protection, advertisement for protection, exemptions from the provisions of protection, landowners' right to compensation, authorisation for expropriation, amendment of protection, categories of protected areas, including public parks, nature reserves, landscape protection areas, natural monuments in the sea, etc. Special rules are provided for the protection of water and geothermal areas, as well as geological monuments, ecosystems, habitats and species.
As regards exotic species, the Act prohibits the importation of live alien organisms without a permit from the Environment Agency, and sets rules on the application for licences, release of living organisms into the wild, transportation of living organisms, exemptions, duty of care, risk management, competent authority, etc.
Finally, the Act provides rules on the preparation of zoning plans, local plans for nature conservation areas, the design of roads, power plants and other structures, cultivation, billboard advertising, etc.