Ministerial Decree No. 48 validating the Regulation on main felling in the plain forest and low hill forest.

This Ministerial Decree shall be compulsory for forest owners and forest managers irrespectively of their departmental subordination and form of property. Plain forest and low hill forests shall be considered small insular forests growing in low hill areas, deserts and floodplain forests. The Ministerial Decree consists of 12 Sections dealing with: (1) general provisions; (2) timber extraction methods and techniques of main felling; (3) felling in insular forests of forest and steppe areas; (4) felling in the low hill forest; (5) felling in coniferous forest belts; (6) felling in the insular coniferous forests; (7) felling in the desert forests; (8) felling in the intrazonal forests; (9) ecological and forestry requirements for cutting area work; (10) use of felling debris and land clearing; (11) forest reproduction in the cutting areas; (12) liability. Main felling must ensure: (a) conservation and improvement of protection forests; (b) timely substitution of mature forest with underwood; (c) reproduction of the precious forest species in the cutting areas; (d) sustainable and inexhaustible forest management and rational use of forest land; (e) improvement of forest productivity. Trees and shrubbery of precious and rare species shall not be destined for main felling. In the protected areas, national parks and nature reserves shall be authorized only cleaning cutting and sanitary felling.