Regional Law No. 22-OZ “On regulation of forest relations”.

This Regional Law regulates relations concerning forest ecosystems, rational management, protection, conservation and reproduction of forests with a view of raising ecological and resource potential thereof. Objects of forest relations shall be forest fund (public forest), right of use of forest parcels pertaining to forest fund, management of forests not included in forest fund, and tree and shrubbery vegetation. All the forests, except for forests of defence and urban forests, and also unforested forest land shall form forest fund. Forest parcels of forest fund can be allotted on lease for the period from 1 to 5 years without tender to forest managers carrying long-term forest management on the aforesaid forest parcels and in possession of timber extraction and timber processing facilities. Forest management shall be authorized exclusively in accordance with felling licence, permit or forest management authorization that can be issued in the presence of contract of lease, concession of free-of-charge forest management.