Regulation to the Community Rights Law with Respect to Forest Lands (as amended).

This Regulation of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) implements provisions of the Community Rights Law of 2009 with Respect to Forest Lands ("Community Rights Law"), and determines the rules, guidelines and procedures for the establishment of authorized forest communities and to access, manage, use and the benefits of forest resources within the Republic of Liberia, and participation by communities in the reforestation, rehabilitation and conservation of forest and wildlife resources in Liberia. A community that has the right to access, manage, use and benefit from a specified area of forest resources, after it has met all regulatory requirements, including management and technical specifications, as established and verified by the Authority, and which has signed a Community Forest Management Agreement with the Authority. The Regulation also clarifies forest Communities’ rights and obligations under Community Forest Agreements. Community Forests are forested or partially-forested land traditionally owned or used by a communities for socio-cultural, economic and development purposes, of a size smaller than 50.000 hectares.Forestry management programs shall comply with specified legislation and international treaties on sustainable forest management to which Liberia is either a signatory or has acceded. The Authority shall have the exclusive powers to grant a community the right to access, manage, use and benefit from forest resources on a specified area of land. The establishment of an Authorized Forest Community shall be initiated either by a community or the Authority. Authorized Forest Community shall be governed by a Community Assembly. Daily management shall be carried out by a Community Forest Management Body established by the Assembly.The Regulation sets out rights and duties of members of a Forest Community and the FDA. In order to be approved for participation in the Community Forestry Program under the Community Rights Law of 2009 and this Regulation, an Authorized Forest Community shall prepare and negotiate a Community Forest Agreement with the FDA. After the approval of the Community Forest Agreement, the community Forestry Management Body shall prepare a Community Forest Management Plan. The Regulations also concerns small- medium- and large-scale commercial operations on community forest land.