Law No. 1041-XIV on forest reclamation of degraded land.

This Law establishes legal grounds for the forest reclamation of degraded land and the procedure of identification of the aforesaid land. This Law shall be applicable to degraded land irrespectively of the form of ownership that can be subject to forest reclamation for the purpose of soil improvement and hydrological and environmental re-balancing. The Act consists of five Sections divided into 20 articles: (1) general provisions; (2) identification procedure of degraded land; (3) financing of land reclamation activity; (4) liability and penalties; and (5) conclusive and transitional provisions. Degraded land shall be considered land subject to erosion, soil pollution or other negative environmental impact causing loss of agricultural productivity, but that can be reclaimed through afforestation and other ecosystem recovery arrangements. Identification of degraded land subject to forest reclamation shall be carried out by local authority. Central forestry body shall be authorized to purchase from natural persons degraded land with a view of forest reclamation. Legal and natural persons shall be liable to administrative sanctions and prosecution for impeding forest reclamation, destruction of the afforestation areas and grazing in the afforested areas.