The license confers on its holder the right to exploit exclusively timber intended for export or local processing, subject to the restrictions specific to certain species resulting from forestry regulations in force, or from the specifications.
The license does not confer on its holder the right to exploit special species, perches, firewood, charcoal or secondary forest products.
The granting of any logging license is subject to:
1) A set of specifications, the particular clauses of which specify, in particular, the size, location and deadline for installation of local industrial processing equipment for licenses covering more than 20,000 ha; this deadline may not exceed 24 months from the date of granting of the license;
2) The following financial charges:
a) The timber sales price, calculated per m5 of timber, depending on whether the logs are exported or processed locally. The sale price of timber intended for export is charged partly at the rates applicable to timber intended for local processing on leaving the logging site, and partly at the rates applicable on leaving the territory.
b) The annual territorial royalty, calculated per hectare of forest under concession;
c) The reforestation fee, which is annual and calculated per hectare of conceded forest;
d) An annual contribution to forest development work, calculated per hectare of forest under concession;
e) The contribution to the creation of socio-economic infrastructures, calculated per cubic metre of timber harvested.
(1) Forests are harvested by license in 2,500-ha plots, with each plot constituting a cutting base.
Actual harvesting of a cutting block can only begin once the Administration in charge of forests has been notified of the license. It gives rise to the issue of a cutting-asset certificate valid for one year and renewable at the request of the operator on presentation of five copies of a map from the National Geographical Centre.
The allocation of a new cutting area takes place: after closure by the Administration in charge of forests of those previously open to exploitation.
To this end, the request for the allocation of a new cutting area is sent to the Minister in charge of forests, supported by a certificate issued by the provincial head of 11 the Forestry Administration certifying that the previously open sites have been exhausted and that they have been exploited in compliance with the specifications.
The logging company is required to mark the boundaries of the felling areas with layons to facilitate permanent control of its operations by Forest Administration agents.
Each assiette de coupe opened for exploitation must be exhausted within a maximum of 3 years and closed by the Forest Administration. After this closure, the logger is prohibited from returning to the site.
The forest manager is obliged to “record the diameter taken at 1.30 m from the ground or the diameter taken just above the buttresses of each tree felled” in the logbooks.
He may only fell trees listed in his specifications.
The standards for local industrial boxwood processing facilities to be set up by the forest manager, taking into account the areas of forest granted to him, are as follows:
A – Less than 20,000 hectares:
- Total area of forest under concession – less than 20,000
- Quality of industrial plants to be commissioned – no fixed standards
- minimum % of the volume of wood to be processed locally – 60% at least
B – From 20,000 to 60,000 hectares:
- Total area of forest under concession – from 20,000 to 60,000
- Quality of industrial plans to be commissioned – at least one sawmill with an annual processing capacity than 25,000ml logs
- Minimum % of the volume of wood to be processed locally – 60% at least
C – From 60,000 to 100,000 hectares:
- Total area of forest concession – from 60,000 to 100,000
- Quality of industrial plans to be commissioned – at least one sawmill with an annual processing capacity greater than 50,000 m2 of logs
- Minimum % of the volume of wood to be processed locally – 60% at least
D – From 100,000 to 150,000 hectares:
- Total area of forest concession – 100,000 to 150,000
- Quality of industrial plans to be commissioned – at least one sawmill with a processing capacity in excess of 50,000 m2 of logs, or any other processing unit deemed to be at least equivalent
- Minimum % of the volume of wood to be processed locally – 60% at least
E – From 150,000 to 200,000 hectares:
- Total area of forest concession – 150,000 to 200,000
- Quality of industrial plans to be commissioned – an industrial complex comprising at least one of the following: a peeling plant, a plywood or panel manufacturing plant, and a sawmill or other processing unit
- Minimum % of the volume of wood to be processed locally – 60% at least
Forest operators in operation on the date of signature of this decree have two years to comply with the provisions of the above paragraph. After this period, the total area held will be automatically reduced to comply with these standards.
Taking into account the economic and social impact of the local wood processing plant, the location of the plant is determined in agreement with the local administrative authorities.
The opening of escape routes through unlicensed national forests is subject to the prior authorization of the Minister in charge of forests. The operator may be authorized to recover trees felled on the road right-of-way, in return for payment of the sale price of the timber.
The applicable rate of this sale price is that set for the recovered logs.
Logs transported by rail are subject to a special declaration, a copy of which is sent by the relevant Station Manager to the Provincial Head of the Administration in charge of forests.
This declaration mentions the name of the sender of the logs, the name of the forwarding station, the number of logs per species, their destination, volume and weight.
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