Protected Forest Rules (Cap. 116)

ARRANGEMENT OF RULES 1. Citation. 2. Offences. 3. Power of seizure. 4. Cattle and other livestock trespassing. PROTECTED FORESTS RULES [Section 8.] 1. Citation These Rules may be cited as the Protected Forests Rules. 2. Offences (1) Any person who, within the area of a Protected Forest, does any of the following acts— (a) fells, cuts, girdles, marks, lops, taps or bleeds any tree, other than a cacao or nutmeg tree, or strips off the bark or leaves or injures by fire or otherwise any tree; or (b) depastures or permits to trespass any cattle, horses, mules, asses, pigs, sheep or goats; or (c) kindles, keeps or carries any fire; or (d) damages, alters, defaces or removes any boundary mark or landmark; or (e) plants any annual crop such as corn, maize, adlay, dasheen, eddoes, tannias, manioc, yams, sweet potatoes, peas and beans or cotton; or (f) knowingly counterfeits on any tree or timber or has in his or her possession any implement for counterfeiting a mark used by forest officers or unlawfully or fraudulently affixes or alters, defaces or obliterates any such mark on any tree or timber, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall on summary conviction be liable to a penalty not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment with hard labour for a period not exceeding two months. (2) Nothing in this Rule shall apply to any person who does any of the acts set out in paragraph (1) hereof with the permission in writing of the Chief Technical Officer (Extension). 3. Power of seizure (1) When any tree or timber has been felled, worked or removed contrary to rule 2 of these Rules, such tree or timber together with all tools, ropes, chains, boats, crafts, carriages or carts used in connection with the commission of the offence shall be forfeited, and may be seized by any public officer or forest officer. (2) Any public officer or forest officer effecting such seizure shall forthwith report the same to a Magistrate. (3) All property so seized shall be sold by the officer effecting the same unless the owner thereof or the person from whom it was seized or some person authorised by him or her shall within fourteen days of the seizure, or such further terms as a Magistrate may allow, prove to the satisfaction of such Magistrate that no breach of these Rules has in fact been committed. 4. Cattle and other livestock trespassing Any cattle or other livestock found depastured or trespassing shall be taken into possession by a public officer or a forest officer and shall be disposed of in such manner as a Magistrate may direct.