Samoa

Forestry legislation

The key pieces of legislation guiding the development of forestry in Samoa are the Forests Act 1967 and the Forest Regulations 1969. The Forests Act 1967 establishes the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture Forests and Fisheries to administer the conservation, resource management and exploitation of forests. This legislation includes the ability to declare protected areas. Watershed Protection and Management Regulations were introduced in 1992 to enable the establishment of a National Watershed Management Committee and a management planning process for individual watersheds. A variety of other legislation incorporates environmental aspects pertaining to forests: the National Parks and Reserves Act 1974, makes provision for the establishment, preservation and administration of National Parks and reserves; the Lands, Surveys and Environment Act 1989 established a Division of Environment and Conservation; and the Village Fono Act 1990 legalized the right of Village Fonos (councils) to exercise authority in a number of areas including management of local natural resources.

The Taking of Lands Act 1964 and Article 102 of the Constitution both enable the government to acquire land. The first gives the government the power to obtain land for public purposes by negotiation or compulsory processes. The 1964 Act has provision for land to be taken to protect key watershed catchment areas, especially where agricultural development is likely to threaten watershed stability. Recent relevant policy on Samoan forestry includes the National Forest Policy and Forestry Situation, Outlook and Strategy: Background to the National Forest Policy (1994); the Draft Samoan Code of Practice for Harvesting of Native Forest and Plantations (April 2001); the Strategy for the Development of Samoa (2002 - 2004); and the Forest Resource Convention Policy (2002), National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2001) and National Environment Management and Development Strategies (1993).

last updated: Monday, October 1, 2007