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National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998)

Chapter 3 : Special Measures to Protect Forests and Trees

Part 3 : Protection of trees

14. Emergency procedure for protecting trees

 

(1) If the Minister is of the opinion that any tree sought to be protected in terms of this Part may be damaged or destroyed before a declaration under section 12 could come into effect, he or she may act under this section.

 

(2) The Minister may declare any tree or group of trees to be temporarily protected by publishing a notice in two newspapers circulating in, and airing it on two radio stations broadcasting to—
(a) the vicinity, in the case of a particular tree or group of trees or woodland; or
(b) the entire country, in the case of a species.

 

(3) The Minister may act under subsection (1) without consulting or hearing any person if the urgency of the situation justifies this.

 

(4) The prohibition referred to in section 15(1) applies to a tree or group of trees temporarily protected in terms of this section.

 

(5) The temporary protection lapses when—
(a) the Minister publishes a notice in terms of section 13(3);
(b) the Minister decides not to protect the trees under section 12, in which event he or she must publish a notice confirming this in the media referred to in subsection (2); or
(c) the Minister fails to act in terms of paragraph (a) or (b) within 12 months of the day the notice referred to in subsection (2) became effective.