Indian Forest Act, 1927 Chapter 1

(1) This Act may be called the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

¹[ (2) It extends to the whole of India except the territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in Part B States.

(3) It applies to the territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in the States of Bihar, Bombay, Coorg, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal; but the Government of any State may by notification in the Official Gazette bring this Act into force in the whole or any specified part of that State to which this Act extends and where it is not in force. ]

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1. Substituted by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 3) Order, 1956, for sub-sections (2) and (3).

In this Act, unless thereis anything repugnant in the subject or context,-

(1)"cattle" includes elephants, camels, buffaloes, horses, mares,geldings, ponies, colts, fillies, mules, asses, pigs, rams, ewes, sheep, lambs,goats and kids;

(2)"Forest-officer" means any person whom ¹ [* * *] the ² [State Government] or any office empowered by ¹ [* * *] the ² [State Government] in this behalf, may appoint to carry outall or any of the purposes of this Act or to do anything required by this Actor any rule made thereunder to be done by a Forest-officer;] in this behalf, may appoint to carry outall or any of the purposes of this Act or to do anything required by this Actor any rule made thereunder to be done by a Forest-officer;

(3)"forest-offence" means an offence punishable under this Act or underany rule made thereunder;

(4)"forest-produce" includes-

(a) thefollowing whether found in, or brought from, a forest or not, that is tosay-timber, charcoal, caoutchouc, calechu, wood-oil, resin, natural varnish,bark, lac, mahua flowers, mahua seeds, ³ [kuth]and myrabolams, and

(b) thefollowing when found in, or brought from a forest, that is to say-

(i)treesand leaves, flowers and fruits, and all other parts or produce not hereinbeforementioned, of trees,

(ii) plantsnot being trees (including grass, creepers, reeds and moss), and all parts orproduce of such plants,

(iii)wildanimals and skins, tusks, horns, bones, silk, cocoons, honey and wax, and allother parts or produce of animals, and

(iv) peat,surface soil, rock and minerals (including lime-stone, laterite, mineral oils,and all products of mines or quarries);

⁴ [(4A) "owner" includes a Court of Wards in respect of propertyunder the superintendence or charge of such Court;]

(5)"river" includes any stream, canal, creek or other channels, naturalor artificial;

(6)"timber" includes trees when they have fallen or have been felled,and all wood whether cut up or fashioned or hollowed out for any purpose ornot; and

(7)"tree" includes palms, bamboos, skumps, brush-wood and canes.

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1. The words "the Government-Generalin Council or" omitted bythe A.O. 1937.

2. Substituted by theA.O. 1950,for "ProvincialGovernment".

3. Inserted by Act 26 of 1930,section 2.

4. Inserted by Act 3 of 1933, section 2.