Forest Law No. 6831.

This Law considers trees and shrubs that grow naturally or are cultivated by labour as forests with their locations. Article 1 lists the places that are not considered forests, such as: agricultural land which is outside the forest boundaries, used and privately owned, and the places where trees and shrubs are located on private land and do not grow naturally in the surrounding forests. Forests are divided into: (I) state forests, public forests, and private forests in terms of ownership and management; and (II) conservation forests, national parks, and production forests in terms of qualifications and characteristics.
The boundaries of protection forest are determined and declared to the surrounding villages. The conditions, principles and periods of designation of such forests and management, development, improvement and utilisation principles and decisions are decided by the Ministry of Forestry. The grazing of herds on the State forest lands should be done according to the plans and permission of the forestry administration. The costs of cutting, hauling, and stacking with tariff price and the necessities of the ones who are entitled to the right to building timber and the people among this group with poor status are determined by the board of village alderman with the participation of the forest chief considering the productivity of the forest and the requirements of the demanders. Private forests are managed and administered in accordance with management plans and maps undertaken by their owners and approved by the forest administration. A Reforestation Fund is established within the Ministry of Forestry for supporting reforestation/afforestation establishment and maintenance activities by the villagers.
This Law lays down penalties for those who carry, reap, process, accept, use, sell, buy or possess, even though he/she is aware that forest products have been logged, transported or collected in violation of the provisions of this Law. The penalty increases in case these acts are committed by those who trade in all kinds of forest products, whether they own a business or not, and those who process and sell the forest goods they buy for profit.