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Table of Contents
National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998)
Notice No. 1388 of 1998
Act
Preamble
Chapter 1 : Introductory Provisions
1. Purposes
2. Interpretation
Chapter 2 : Sustainable Forest Management
Part 1 : Management
3. Principles to guide decisions affecting forests
4. Promotion and enforcement of sustainable forest management
Part 2 : Research, monitoring and reporting
5. Promotion of research
6. Duty to monitor forests and disseminate information
Chapter 3 : Special Measures to Protect Forests and Trees
Part 1 : Prohibition of destruction of natural forests
7. Prohibition on destruction of trees in natural forests
Part 2 : Protected areas
8. Power to set aside protected areas
9. Procedure for declaring protected areas
10. Effect of setting aside protected areas
11. Management of protected areas
Part 3 : Protection of trees
12. Declaration of trees as protected
13. Normal procedure for declaring protected trees
14. Emergency procedure for protecting trees
15. Effect of declaration of protected trees
16. Registration against title deeds
Part 4 : Measures to control and remedy deforestation
17. Power to declare controlled forest areas
18. Right to apply for protection
Chapter 4 : Use of Forests
Part 1 : Access for recreation and related purposes
19. Access to State forests for recreation, education, culture or spiritual fulfilment
20. Regulation of access to State forests
21. Access to forests other than State forests
Part 2 : Vesting and granting of rights to use State forests
22. Vesting of rights
23. Activities which may be licensed in State forests
24. Requirements for licensing
25. Amendments, suspensions and cancellations
26. Servitudes in State forests
27. Leasing of State forests
27A. Trusts
28. Agreements to sell forest produce in State forests
Part 3 : Community forestry
29. Offers to enter into community forestry agreements
30. Conclusion of community forestry agreements
31. Content of community forestry agreements
32. Assistance for community forestry
Chapter 5 : Institutions
Part 1 : National Forests Advisory Council
33. Establishment and objects of National Forests Advisory Council
34. Constitution of Council
35. Conditions of appointment to Council
36. Committees of Council
37. Meetings of Council
38. Funding of Council
39. Staff of Council.
40. Report by Council
Part 2 : National Forest Recreation and Access Trust
41. Establishment and objects of National Forest Recreation and Access Trust
42. Powers and duties of Minister as trustee
43. Administration of Trust funds
44. Reports by Minister as trustee
Part 3 : Panel of facilitators, mediators and arbitrators
45. Establishment of panel
Chapter 6 : Administration of Act
Part 1 : General powers and duties of Minister
46. Development and implementation of policy
47. Assignment of powers and duties
48. Delegation of powers and duties
49. Expropriation of property
50. Reservation of State land for forestry
51. Performance of functions on other land
52. Extensions
53. Content of regulations
54. Procedure for making regulations
55. Tariffs and charges
Part 2 : General powers and duties of Director-General
56. Powers and duties
57. Transfer of officers and employees
Chapter 7 : Offences and Penalties
Part 1 : Sentencing
58. Penalties
59. Compensatory orders in criminal proceedings
60. Award of part of fine recovered to informant
Part 2 : Offences
61. Offences relating to sustainable forest management
62. Offences relating to protection of forests and trees
63. Offences relating to use of forests
64. Offences in relation to enforcement
Chapter 8 : Enforcement
65. Appointment of forest officers
66. General powers of forest officers
67. Power to enter and search
68. Power to seize
69. Power to arrest
Chapter 9 : General And Transitional Provisions
Part 1 : Miscellaneous
70. Documents and steps valid under certain circumstances
71. Delivery of documents
72. Publication of notices in media
Part 2 : Repeal and amendment of laws, savings, short title and commencement
73. Repeal of laws
74. Savings
75. Amendment of section 1 of Act 128 of 1992
76. Substitution of section 3 of Act 128 of 1992
77. Repeal of section 4 of Act 128 of 1992
78. Amendment of Act 51 of 1994
79. Short title
80. Commencement
Schedules
Schedule 1 : Laws Repealed
Schedule 2 : Amendments to Act 51 of 1994
Regulations
Regulations under the National Forests Act 84 of 1998
Notice No. R. 466 of 2009
Chapter 1 : Definitions
1. Definitions
Chapter 2 : Sustainable Forest Management
2. Research
Chapter 3 : Measures
3. Measures of area, dimension, volume and mass
Chapter 4 : Licences
4. General
5. Establishment and management of plantation
6. Felling of trees, removal of timber and cutting and removal of other forest produce
7. Use of land, structures or buildings for agricultural
8. Use of roads in State forest
9. Construction of any road, building or structure
10. Grazing or herding of animals
11. Use of land for cultivation purposes
12. Hunting and Fishing
13. Use of State forest for recreational, educational, cultural or spiritual purpo
14. Mining
Chapter 5 : Protection of Trees and Forests
15. Licences for activities in respect of indigenous trees
16. Licences for activities in respect of protected trees
17. Protection of forests, trees or group of trees
18. Setting aside of protected areas on private land
Chapter 6 : Information
19. Collection of data
20. Collection of data on natural forests and woodlands
Chapter 7 : Servitudes
21. Granting of servitudes and licensing of activities under servitudes
Chapter 8 : Community Forestry
22. Community forestry assistance
Chapter 9 : Enforcement
23. Proof of appointment of forest officers
24. Inspections
Chapter 10 : Offences and Penalties
25. Offences and penalties
26. Short title and commencement
Notices
National Forest Recreation and Access Trust
Notice No. 4554 of 2000
List of Protected Tree Species (2009)
Notice No. 1106 of 2009
Schedule A
Declaration of a List of National Forest Types as Natural Forests
Notice No. 167 of 2017
Schedule A
List of Protected Tree Species (2017)
Notice No. 690 of 2017
Schedule A
List of Protected Tree Species (2018)
Notice No. 536 of 2018
Schedule A
List of Protected Tree Species (2021)
Notice No. 155 of 2021
Schedule A
Declaration of Certain State Forests Properties in Mpumalanga Province as Forest Nature Reserves under Section 8(1) and 9 of the Act
Notice No. 1062 of 2021
Schedule : Properties Declared as Forest Nature Reserves
Annual List of all Tree Species which are protected under Section 12 of the National Forests Act, 1998
Notice No. 4496 of 2024
Schedule A
Proclamations
Commencement of Section 18 of the National Forest Act, 1998
Notice No. R. 33 of 2009
Exemptions
Exemption in terms of Section 24(6)
Notice No. 399 of 2008
Exemptions in terms of Sections 7(1) and 15(1)
Notice No. 25 of 2014
Procedures and Code of Conduct
Procedures and Code of Conduct in terms of Section 37 of the National Forests Act
Notice No. 3272 of 2000
1. Holding of Meetings
2. Agenda
3. Quorum and Related Matters
4. Chairperson's Duties
5. Procedures at Meetings
6. Records of the Council
7. Advice to the Minister
8. Permanent Committees
9. Other Committees
10. Departures from Procedures
11. Code of Conduct for Members of the National Forests Advisory Council and its Committees
12. Interpretation
indigenous
means indigenous to South Africa.
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