Forest Law (State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 8/92).

The basic principles underlying this Law include implementing the forestry and environmental conservation policies of the Government and developing the State's economy to provide food, and other needs. Under this Law, all standing teak trees, regardless of location, are owned by the State. The Minister may create or alter reserved and protected public forests on land at the disposal of the Government. Reserved forests may be demarcated under the Law for commercial extraction, local supply, watershed or catchment, environment and biodiversity, or other purposes. Protected public forests may be declared to protect soil and water, maintain sustained yield of forest produce, and conserve dry-zone forests, mangrove forests, environment and biodiversity. Procedures are prescribed for determining the affected rights of the public in the demarcation and declaration process. Reserved forests created under the Forest Act, 1902, are deemed to be reserved forests under the new Law. The Law sets out the functions and responsibilities of the Forestry Department. Permits are required for extracting or moving forest produce and establishing wood-based industries. For each extraction permit, the variety of minor forest produce, quantity of each kind of forest produce, etc. are determined and terms and conditions prescribed. Subject to certain execptions, commercial scale extraction permits are granted for various period and competitive bidding is required for extraction on a commercial scale. Holders of permits for extraction on a commercial scale are financially responsible for any reforestation conditions, either by establishing forest plantations or through natural regeneration. Penalties are provided for the following actions within a reserved forest: trespassing by humans or domestic animals, pasturing domestic animals, clearing land without a permit, hunting or fishing, and setting fires. Felling, cutting, girdling, marking, lopping, tapping or injuring by fire or otherwise any tree in a reserved forest is punishable.