Forest Law of the Republic of Slovenia.

This Law provides the forest management basic principles and rules. The Law closely regulates the protection (also fire protection), cultivation, construction and maintenance of forest infrastructure, timber issues, exploitation and use of forests and the disposal of forests and forest land as important natural resource, with the aim of ensuring sustainable and multi-functional approach and management, in accordance with the principles of environmental protection and protection of natural values, and sustainable and optimal functioning of forests as ecosystem. These rules are meant for both type of owners of forests (legal and/or natural persons). The ownership of forests shall be exercised in such way as to ensure their ecological, social and production functions. Forest owners have the right to participate in the process of preparing and adopting forest management plans. Their needs, proposals and requirements shall be respected as far as possible in accordance with ecosystem and legal constraints. The basis for forest management are national forest programme and forest management plans. The forest management plans shall also lay down the necessary measures for maintaining the favorable status of the special protection areas, determined in accordance with the regulations governing nature conservation.
The text is divided into 12 main Chapters and a total of 103 articles. The titles of Chapters are as follows: (I) General provisions; (II) Planning; (III) Forest management; (IV) Special purpose forests; (V) Forest trade; (VI) Financing; (VII) Public forestry service; (VIII) Department of forestry of Slovenia; (IX) Research activity; (IXa) Associations; (X) Supervision; (XI) Penalty provisions; (XII) Transitional and final provisions.
This Law further provides for the establishment of an Institute for Forests as a separate public entity of Slovenia and of its regional units. This Law sets the necessary conditions for managing of forest areas, including individual forest trees and groups of forest trees outside the settlement areas, in order to preserve and strengthen their roles in the environment. Hunting provisions are also implemented in relation to the forest management issues. The traceability, trade in forestry wood assortments and official controls are also here regulated, among the offences and resulting penalties.
Article 32 states that grazing in forests is prohibited; use of open fire and smoking are also prohibited (article 33); article 40 states that driving in the woods outside forest roads is allowed only for forest management or for rescuing people or property; article 18 states that it is prohibited to afforest land in the forest unless it is foreseen in forest management plans; logging restrictions in article 22; article 25 stipulates the rules in relation to the collection of animals, fruits, mushrooms or plants that can endanger any plant or animal species or function of the forests.