The Indian Forest Act, 1927

What the Act governs

The Indian Forest Act, 1927, Act No. 16 of 1927, dated 21 September 1927, provides a legal framework for forests and forest produce. It covers reserved forests, village forests, protected forests, certain privately owned forests, timber and forest produce in transit, forest offences, enforcement powers and recovery of money owed to the Government.

The Act defines forest produce broadly. Depending on where an item is found or obtained, it can include timber, charcoal, resin, bark, plants, grass, leaves, fruits, wild animal products, honey, wax, peat, surface soil, rocks and minerals.

How land and property may be affected

The Indian Forest Act, 1927 may matter to owners, occupiers and people claiming rights over land that is proposed for reservation or otherwise placed under forest controls.

Key provisions listed in the supplied text include:

• State Government power to reserve forests and issue a notification.
• A Forest Settlement-officer process for investigating claims and recording admitted rights.
• Extinction, acquisition, regulation or commutation of certain claimed rights.
• Appeals against specified decisions concerning claims and admitted rights.
• Restrictions on acquiring or transferring rights in reserved forests.
• Power to stop ways and watercourses in reserved forests.
• Protection or Government management of forests and lands not owned by the Government in specified circumstances.
• Protection of forests at an owner's request.
• Treatment of land required under the Act as land needed for a public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

A buyer considering land near or within a forest should therefore check whether any forest notification, recorded right, access restriction or Government management arrangement applies to the property.

Timber, transport and enforcement

The Indian Forest Act, 1927 authorises rules regulating the transit of forest produce and permits duties on timber and other forest produce. It also addresses drift and stranded timber, including claims and disposal of unclaimed timber.

Enforcement provisions listed in the text include:

• Seizure, release and confiscation of forest produce, tools and other property.
• Arrest without warrant and release on bond.
• Prevention and summary trial of forest offences.
• Compounding of offences and imposition of penalties.
• Penalties for wrongful seizure, altered boundary marks and counterfeit or damaged marks on trees or timber.
• Powers for Forest-officers, who are treated as public servants.

The supplied text lists several territorial amendments, but none confirming application or amendment specifically for Tamil Nadu.