Forests Ordinance, 2015.

This Ordinance is enacted to provide for the protection and management of forests in Sarawak and to regulate the taking of forest produce and for matters connected therewith. The Ordinance consists of 114 Sections divided into 8 Parts: Preliminary (I); Administration (II); Forest Reserves, Protected Forests and Communal Forests (III); Forests Management and Development (IV); Enforcement (V); Other Offences and Penalties (VI); Miscellaneous (VII); Repeal, Savings and Transitional Provisions (VIII).
A forest reserve or protected forest may be constituted over any State land in the manner provided in Part III. Section 8 provides for the administrative procedure for constituting forest reserves and protected forests. The Minister may, at the request of a community, constitute any State land, not being a forest reserve, protected forest or other Government reserve, a communal forest in the manner provided in Part III.
All forest produce situated, lying, growing or having its origin within a permanent forest or State land shall be the property of the State. The taking of forest produce in permanent forests, State land and alienated land shall be controlled and regulated by the Director who may issue such licences. No person shall, except with the written approval of the Director, cut for conversion into firewood or charcoal, or convert into firewood or charcoal when cut, any timber included in items A, B and C of Class I (i) of the First Schedule. No timber shall be loaded or transmitted onto any conveyance for export or removal from Sarawak until a certificate has been issued.
The Ordinance further make provisions for: assessment of compensation; acquisition and transfer of rights or privileges; planted forests; licence for establishment of planted forests; royalty and fees; registration of workmen; etc.