Act - 1927 - Forests Act – Cap 157

The sections still applicable from the Forests Act provide for the conditions and procedure to establish forest reserves. The Forests Act further states that ownership of land within a forest reserve remains unchanged by its constitution as a forest reserve. These forest reserves can be managed by the owner as well as the government for the benefit of the owner. For stool lands included within forest reserves it seems however that the 1962 Concessions Act has vested them in the President in trust for and on behalf of the stools concerned. The Forest Act continues by providing rules in relation to the constitution of forest reserves by way of Bye-law and the relationship between the Constitution of reserves through Bye-law to the normal procedure.

Amendments

In 1954, the Forest Act has been officially consolidated with preceding forest acts (and ordinances) from 1927 to 1949. This consolidated act has been subsequently slightly amended by No 45 of 1954 and No 34 of 1957.

The sections relating to Forest Improvement Fund have been repealed by the Forest Improvement Fund Act, which in turn has been repealed in 2000 by the Forest Plantation Development Fund Act (Act 583).

The sections relating to Forest offences have been repealed by the Forest Protection Act in 1974 (NRCD 243) and its subsequent amending acts (1986, PNDCL 142 – 2002, Act 624).
In addition the remaining sections have to be read with the necessary modifications to give the Timber Resources Management Act from 1998 (Act 547) effect.