Schemes for Online Processing of Applications for Tree Felling and Tree Transit by Tamil Nadu Forest Department

What the notification governs

Tamil Nadu Forest Department Notification No. VI(1)/318/2017, dated October 11, 2017, implements online processing for tree felling no objection certificates and tree transit permission. It was issued following reforms identified under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India, Business Reforms Action Plan 2017.

The notification affects landowners, tenants, lessees and others seeking to fell, sell, store or transport regulated trees. Applications covered by the notification must be submitted through www.forests.tn.gov.in.

Rules based on the location of the trees

The applicable authority depends on where the trees stand:

• For a private forest or hill area covered by the Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forest Act, 1949, or the Tamil Nadu Hill Area (Preservation of Trees) Act, 1955, the concerned District Collector, as Chairperson of the District Committee, must be approached.
• For a reserved forest, reserved land or protected area, including a sanctuary, national park or conservation reserve, tree felling forms part of forest land diversion under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The no objection certificate is issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change through www.forestclearance.nic.in. A separate Tamil Nadu Forest Department certificate is not required.
• For patta land and revenue land, the requirements depend on the tree species.

Requirements for particular tree species

For patta land and revenue land, the notification provides:

• Sandalwood requires permission to fell, and the felled trees may be sold only to the Government. The stated maximum timeline for issuing the no objection certificate is 37 days.
• Red sanders, black wood, silver oak, rose wood and teak do not require prior felling permission, but online intimation is mandatory 15 days before felling. The procedure includes document review, inspection and issue of a digitally signed no objection certificate, with a stated timeline of 18 days from receipt of the online application.
• Other tree species require neither permission nor intimation for felling.

Documents and inspections

Applicants may need a Tahsildar ownership certificate, Chitta or Adangal extract, Field Measurement Book sketch, relevant tenancy, lease or mortgage deed, and a list of trees with species, girth, height and approximate age.

Forest officers may inspect the land and trees, verify original documents and confirm ownership. For sandalwood, the Forest Range Officer marks trees for extraction, and the District Forest Officer or Assistant Conservator of Forests checks at least one in every ten trees proposed for sale.

All tree transit permission applications must also be made online. The notification provides separate inspection and property mark procedures for red sanders and other non-exempt tree species.