Government Resolution No. HG106/1996 “On measures to ensure the safety of forests, shelterbelts and other forest plantations.”

The Forest Guard is an integral part of the state forest service and is created in the system of the Agency “Moldsilva” for the purpose of protecting forest and hunting resources. This Provisional Regulation on the Forest Guard of the Agency “Moldsilva” determines the tasks, rights and responsibilities of the officials of the Forest Guard, their place in the forestry system of the Republic of Moldova. The main tasks of the Forest Guard are: (a) direct protection of forests from illegal logging, destruction, damage and theft, illegal grazing and haymaking, as well as other illegal use of forests and forest land, from other violations of forest legislation and negative impacts on forests; (b) protecting the forest fund from fires, carrying out measures to prevent forest and other plant fires, their timely detection and elimination; (c) carrying out measures to suppress violations of the established procedure, norms and rules for forest use; and (d) protection of the hunting fund and control over compliance with the rules and requirements established by the Regulations on the hunting sector of the Republic of Moldova. Forest guard workers carry out their activities in accordance with job responsibilities approved by the Moldsilva Agency. When performing official duties, Forest Guard officials within the limits of their competence have the right to: (a) draw up protocols on forest violations, violations of fire safety rules safety in forests, forest management rules and other violations of forest legislation, as well as cases of poaching; (b) detain those responsible for violations of forest legislation or rules and terms of hunting, as well as in the occurrence of forest fires to establish their identity, if it cannot be verified at the scene of the violation; (c) carry out (if there is sufficient data on the commission of hunting of forestry violations) inspection of things, as well as confiscating from offenders forest and hunting products, instruments of violation and documents for them in the manner established by the legislation of the Republic of Moldova; (d) detain forest offenders in the forest or along the route from the forest and impose arrest of illegally obtained forest products in cases where their removal is traced to the place of consumption or storage; (e) freely visit upon presentation of an official ID enterprises, institutions, organizations and other objects to perform established official duties; (f) receive from enterprises and institutions engaged in forestry and hunting, and also performing work and carrying out various types of use and economic activities on the territory of the forest and hunting fund, necessary reference and information material on the status issues, use and protection of forests, as well as hunting; (g) use passing vehicles when going to extinguish forest fires, pursuing forest offenders and poachers; and (h) use communication means out of turn, within the jurisdiction territories.