Loi n° 97-017 du 8 août 1997 portant révision de la législation forestière

The document, "Loi n° 97-017 du 8 août 1997 portant révision de la législation forestière", is a legislation that revises the forest laws in Madagascar. The legislation outlines the definition of a forest, including areas covered with trees or woody vegetation not planted exclusively for fruit production, forage production, or ornamentation; areas occupied by trees and bushes located on the banks of rivers and lakes and on eroded lands; and lands whose exclusive or main fruits are forest products. Forest products are defined as all natural products derived from their exploitation, the list of which will be subject to a decree. The legislation also includes provisions for areas considered as forests, such as non-forested areas of a forest property such as clearings or areas occupied by forest roads, constructions and installations necessary for forest management; non-forested lands with a forest vocation, notably for the conservation and restoration of soils, the conservation of biodiversity, the regulation of hydrological systems or the increase of forest production as soon as they have been classified as defined in Article 43 of this law; deforested lands for less than five years that have not been authorized for clearing; marshes, aloe populations; natural and pure stands of fruit-producing trees, such as mango and cashew trees; mangroves, sacred woods, and palm heart plantations. This legislation has a significant focus on land governance, particularly in relation to forest management and conservation.