This Act provides for the conservation and management of private and public forests and the declaration of State Forests and Forest Reserves and regulates the felling of trees and the operation of timber mills. The Act consists of 44 sections divided into 9 Parts and is completed by two Schedules.
Felling or removal of timber of any specified public, private or customary land requires a licence to be issued by the Commissioner of Forest Resources. Timber exporters or timber millers may apply to the Commissioner for the right to negotiate with customary land owners the disposal of their timber rights to the applicant. If an agreement is reached the applicant shall carry out such investigations necessary to identify and describe the forest resources on the land and any areas which should be excluded from the application on grounds of environmental or social values. If no agreement can be reached the Commissioner shall reject the application. The Minister may at any time, by Notice, declare any land that is public land, land in which the Government holds a freehold interest in land or a leasehold interest in land, or land leased by or on behalf of the Government, to be a state forest. The Commissioner of Lands shall not grant any interest or licence in any land comprised in a State Forest without the prior written consent of the Commissioner of Forest Resources. The Minister may declare Forest Reserves for the purpose of conserving water resources within Solomon Islands and protecting any forest or other vegetation in any rainfall catchment area. Offences in respect of State Forests and Forest Reserves are defined.