Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980

(1) This Act may be called the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. (2) It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir . (3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 25th day of October, 1980.

forests or use of forest land for non-forest purpose. – Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force in a State, no State Government or other authority shall make, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, any order directing - that any reserved forest (within the meaning of the expression "reserved forest" in any law for the time being in force in that State) or any portion thereof, shall cease to be reserved; (ii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any non-forest purpose; (iii) (1)[that any forest land or any portion thereof may be assigned by way of lease or otherwise to any private person or to any authority, corporation, agency or any other organization not owned, managed or controlled by Government; (iv) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be cleared of trees which have grown naturally in that land or portion, for the purpose of using it for reforestation].(2) [Explanation- For the purposes of this section "non-forest purpose" means the breaking up or clearing of any forest land or portion thereof for- the cultivation of tea, coffee, spices, rubber, palms, oil-bearing plants, horticulture crops or medicinal plants; b) any purpose other than reforestation, but does not include any work relating or ancillary to conservation, development and management of forests and wild-life, namely, the establishment of check-posts, fire lines, wireless communications and construction of fencing, bridges and culverts, dams, waterholes, trench marks, boundary marks, pipelines or other like purposes].

The Central Government may constitute a Committee consisting of such number of persons as it may deem fit to advise that Government with regard to - ( i ) the grant of approval under section 2; and any other matter connected with the conservation of forests which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act. Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.

(1) The Forest (Conservation) Ordinance, 1980 is hereby repealed. Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the provisions of the said Ordinance shall be deemed to have done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act. 1. Ins. by Act 69 of 1988, sec.2(w.e.f . 15.3.1989) 2. Subs. by Act 69 of 1988, sec.2(w.e.f . 15.3.1989) 3. Section 3B ins. by Act 1988, sec.(w.e.f . 15.3.1989)