Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization

Forests and Rangelands Nationalization Act (1962)

The Cabinet of ministers in the session dated 17 March1962 approved Forests and Rangelands Nationalization Act as follows:

Article 1) As of the above date, all lands and properties therein including forests, rangelands, wooded lands and forestlands are announced public property and belong to the Government, even if before the ratification of this Act they belonged to individuals/private owners.

Article 2) Conservation, rehabilitation and development of the above-mentioned resources as well as their exploitation shall rest with Forestry Organization of Iran.

Note 1: Forestry Organization of Iran is authorized to manage the above resources directly or designate individuals to manage them based on contracts.

Note 2: Forest expanses encircled by agricultural/private lands in the Caspian plain with title deeds in the name of individuals/private owners, shall not be subject to the present act. However, any exploitation shall be made merely in accordance with the prevailing acts.

Note 3: lands and properties such as buildings, facilities and local houses, as well as farm lands and orchards established/constructed in forests and rangelands before this act shall be excluded. Real Estate Registration Organization is authorized to issue separate title deeds for individuals/private owners based on discretion of Forestry Organization of Iran.

Article 3) The individuals who possess forest title deeds, or have received a final verdict from courts or a verdict from special Forest Reconciliation Councils as to their right of ownership of forests, are entitled to receive compensation as follows:

1- Five hundred Rials per hectare (forests) in the Caspian forests,

2- Hundred Rials per hectare (forests and rangelands) in other parts of the country,

Article 4) The procedure for forested rangelands ( Wooded rangelands) and non-forested rangelands will be as follows:

1- The individuals who possess forested rangelands ( Wooded rangelands) adjacent to their lands or have a rangeland title deeds or have received a final verdict from courts or a verdict from special Forest Reconciliation Councils as to their right of ownership of forested rangelands, are entitled to receive a hundred Rials per hectare in the Caspian region and fifty Rials per hectare in other parts of the country as compensation.

2- As for non-forested rangelands the procedure will be as follows:

A) The individuals who possess title deeds for non-forested rangelands ( Non Wooded Rangelands), if their lands are transferred/or to be transferred to Land Reform Organization as extra lands for agricultural production according to Land Reform Code (1961), are entitled to receive a benefit package as compensation based on Act no.12/2432 dated 1960.

B) The non-forested rangelands that according to Land Reform Code (1961), are transferred to other individuals as well as non-forested rangelands that have converted to agricultural lands after the approval of this act, or based on a final verdict from courts or a verdict from special Forest Reconciliation Councils, are not subject to the present act, whatsoever.

Article 5) Regarding the natural resource lands stated in Article (1) that their ownership documents are not issued in the name of individuals but their registration forms are/to be received and certified after legal procedures, the owners after receiving approval from Real Estate Registration Organization, are entitled to receive compensation based on article (3) of the present act.

Article 6) All lease contracts and transactions between individuals for these public assets shall be deemed as null and void from the entry date of the act. The leaseholder may on behalf of the leaser, refer to the Forestry Organization to receive his/her deposit from the resources allocated by the government. However, if the payable amount by government does not meet the obligation ceiling, the extra amount may be payable according to act by other assets of the leaser.

Article 7) The forest and rangeland contracts that are subject to this act and whose exploitation is transferred to the third party based on official and non-official documents, are deemed as null and void form the entry date of this act. Contractors should refer to Forestry Organization for renewing their contracts.

 Article 8) Forestry Organization is authorized to issue exploitation quota for everyday wood consumption, free of charge based on villages and local communities real needs from their surrounding forests.

Article 9) All those who are subject to receive compensation based on the present act, should refer to forestry organization within 12 months after the official notice with their title deeds and required documents. No action will be made to applications after the above period.

Article 10) The compensation package will be paid annually to rightful individuals in equal sums for 10 years.

 Article 11) Government is obliged to allocate annually five million Rials to Forestry Organization for a period of ten years.

Article 12) Ministry of Agriculture is obliged to formulate and implement directives after approval by the Cabinet. 

Article 13) Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Economics and Financial Affairs are responsible for implementation of this act.

Article 14) Ministry of Agriculture is obliged to obtain the ratification process in the both Houses of the Parliament.