National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998)Chapter 3 : Special Measures to Protect Forests and TreesPart 3 : Protection of trees14. Emergency procedure for protecting trees |
| (1) | If the Minister is of the opinion that any tree sought to be protected in terms of this Part may be damaged or destroyed before a declaration under section 12 could come into effect, he or she may act under this section. |
| (2) | The Minister may declare any tree or group of trees to be temporarily protected by publishing a notice in two newspapers circulating in, and airing it on two radio stations broadcasting to— |
| (a) | the vicinity, in the case of a particular tree or group of trees or woodland; or |
| (b) | the entire country, in the case of a species. |
| (3) | The Minister may act under subsection (1) without consulting or hearing any person if the urgency of the situation justifies this. |
| (4) | The prohibition referred to in section 15(1) applies to a tree or group of trees temporarily protected in terms of this section. |
| (5) | The temporary protection lapses when— |
| (a) | the Minister publishes a notice in terms of section 13(3); |
| (b) | the Minister decides not to protect the trees under section 12, in which event he or she must publish a notice confirming this in the media referred to in subsection (2); or |
| (c) | the Minister fails to act in terms of paragraph (a) or (b) within 12 months of the day the notice referred to in subsection (2) became effective. |