Law on Forests (2000)

This Law regulates forestry. Its purpose is to promote economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable management and use of the forest by ensuring equal rights, inviolability of the ownership rights, and independence of economic activity of all owners or lawful possessors of the forest, and determining equal obligations; and to govern the conditions for the management and alienation of the State forest land. The Law provides that forest management may not be in contradiction with the requirements specified in the spatial development planning documents. The Law applies to persons for which forest land is in the ownership or lawful possession; and persons whose rights are determined and obligations imposed by this Law and other laws and regulations governing forest management and utilisation. The Law further provides for right of access to a forest; tree felling; utilisation of forest non-wood values; forest reproductive material; forest regeneration and afforestation; forest protection; information regarding forests, and a forest management plan; protection of nature in a forest; parks and forest parks; deforestation; forest administration by the state; scientific research forests; and liability for violations of the laws and regulations regarding forest management and utilisation.