Legislative Decree No. 227 laying down guidelines and modernizing the forestry sector, in accordance with article 7 of Act No. 57 of 5 March 2001.

The Act makes provision aimed at promoting sylvo-culture and ensuring a rational management of national forests. Article 2 gives the definition of "forest". Within 12 months from the entry into force of this Legislative Decree, the Regions shall fix extension and width limit values. Such limit values are intended to identify those areas which fall within the definition of "forest". The Regions must elaborate and review periodically their forestry plans, which shall concern protection, improvement and development of the forestry sector, without any prejudice to the guidelines formulated by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies and the Ministry of the Environment. Forest transformation (which means vegetation removal for destining a particular area to other uses than forestry uses) is prohibited, without any prejudice to authorizations granted by the Regions as per article 151 of Legislative Decree No. 490 of 20 October 1999. When forest transformation is allowed, it must be accompanied by afforestation policies. As referred to in article 5, the Regions shall lay down rules in order to: a) protect forest areas in case of degradation; b) regulate concession procedures concerning the management of forests that belong to public entities; c) promote the creation of forestry associations. The Regions shall as well elaborate: a) lists of enterprises operating in the forestry sector; b) registers on forests, trees and seed trees intended for the production of forestry propagating material. The regional authorities shall submit the information to the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies, which shall elaborate the National Register of Forestry Propagating Material.