The Law (Legislation-G) Department, Government of Kerala, on February 09, 2026, issued the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Act, 2025, to further amend the Kerala Forest Act, 1961.
The following has been stated namely: -
• In section 2, for clause (c), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:— “(c) “Forest Officer” means any person appointed by name or as holding an office by or under the orders of the Government to be a Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Warden, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Range Forest Officer, Deputy Range Forest Officer, Section Forest Officer, Timber Depot Officer, Beat Forest Officer, Forest Beat Assistant (except for the purpose of arrest) or to discharge any function of a Forest Officer under this Act or any rule made thereunder;”.
• In section 47B, sub-section (2), after the words “for his own use”, the words and symbols shall be inserted, namely:- “or for sale through the Forest Department or, subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, for any other bonafide use, irrespective of the age of the tree”.
• In section 47B, sub-section (2), for the existing proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:—“Provided that the provision for sale and bonafide use under sub-section (2) shall not apply to sandal trees, if any, reserved by the Government at the time of assignment of such lands or sandal trees standing on any land notified under section 5 of the Kerala Preservation of Trees Act, 1986 (35 of 1986) or the areas notified by the custodian under the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Act, 2003 (21 of 2005).”.
[Notification No. 118/Leg. G1/2025/Law]
