Forestry Act (Cap. 276).

This Act makes provision for the management, conservation and development of forestry resources in Vanuatu, establishes the Forests Board of Vanuatu, provides for the granting of rights relating to forest exploitation, for the declaration of Conservation Areas, for the protection of the environment and the establishment of the Forestry Project Fund for purposes of reforestation and regulates the export of timber. The Act consists of 73 sections divided into 8 Parts.
The Act introduces two main requirements for any commercial forestry operations, i.e. an agreement under Part 4 and a licence under Part 5. There are three kinds of agreements: (a) timber rights agreement; (b) timber permit; (c) forestry lease. As forestry operation licences there exist: (a) timber licence; (b) mobile sawmill licence; (c) sandalwood licence; and (d) special licence. The Forests Board of Vanuatu, established under this Act, shall be the principal authority for purposes of granting forestry exploitation rights and shall advise the Minister on matters relating to forestry policy and administration. The Director of Forests must prepare a Forestry Sector Plan, which shall be the basis for rational and effective management of the forestry sector. The Plan shall be approved by the Council of Ministers. The Act provides for assistance to, and protection of, indigenous groups in the negotiation for the sale of timber rights. If, in the Minister's opinion, an area of forest has particular scientific, cultural or social significance or other special value for the present community or for future generations, the Minister may, on the request in writing by the custom owners of the land, declare the forest to be a Conservation Area for the purposes of this Act. The Minister may prescribe species of plants as protected species for the purposes of this Act.