FAO Forestry country profiles - legislation

Sudan

Forestry legislation

The first recognized forest law was issued in 1932.

In 1939 a royalty order was enacted for collecting royalties from forest products produced outside the forest reserves to discourage people from cutting trees outside the reserves.

In 1989, as a result of the nfp process, the Forestry Act was revised. The new Act established the Forests National Corporation (FNC) as the central body responsible for forestry at the national level. It also legalized people's participation in forest management and made provision for private, community and departmental forests.

Resolution No. 40/97 decreed that:

• Forests which protect water that transcends the boundaries of more than one state or vital federal constructions (dams, bridges etc) and forests on the desert fringe are to be designated as federal forests to be managed by the FNC.

• All institutional, community or private forests existing or to be established belong to the entity which established them.

• Other forests reserved, under reservation or to be reserved are to be managed by the respective state.

• Revenue from outside forest reserves continues to be divided in the ratio of 40%for the states; 40% for the FNC and 20% for the central reservation fund.

• Federal forests continue to be managed by the FNC with supervision from state ministers of agriculture.

• The FNC bears expenditure on chapter 1 ( wage & salaries), chapter 2 ( running ), chapter 3 ( replacement) and development as regards federal forests and retains all the revenue.

• States and other forest owners shoulder costs and reap the benefits of theirs.

The 1998 constitution designated federal and state forests. It also stipulated the summon by federal legislation of a national council to lay down criteria for federal and state forests. The FNC was instrumental in outlining the envisaged criteria.