This Law provides for the management, protection, development and use of forests; processing and trading of forest products. The Law consists of 108 Articles divided into 12 Chapters.
The State is the representative owner of forests under the ownership of the entire people, including: a ) Natural forests; b) Plantation forests are fully invested by the State; c) Planted forests recovered by the State, donated or other cases of transfer of ownership rights of planted forests as prescribed by law. Natural forests and planted forests are classified into 3 types as: a) Special-use forests; b) Protection forest; c) Production forest. Special-use forests are mainly used for conservation of natural forest ecosystems, genetic resources of forest organisms, scientific research, conservation of historical - cultural relics, beliefs, and combined scenic spots. The State ensures resources for the management, protection and development of special-use forests and protection forests. Hunting, capturing, raising, confining, killing, storing, transporting and trading in wild animals, collecting specimens of forest plants and animals against the law shall be prohibited. The State shall build and operates the Vietnam Legal Timber Assurance System; promulgate criteria, competence, processes and procedures for classifying enterprises exploiting, transporting, consuming, processing and exporting wood and wood products.
The Law further makes provisions, inter alia, for: forest management organization; formulation, consultation, appraisal, approval and adjustment of national forestry master plans; forest allocation, forest leasing, conversion of forest use purposes to other purposes, and forest recovery; certificate of sustainable forest management; protection of forest ecosystems; forest survey, inspection, monitoring, forest database; forest fire prevention and fighting; development of forestry plant varieties; forest processing and trade; offences and penalties; etc.