TAMIL NADU TIMBER TRANSIT RULES

The following Acts and Rules regulate tree felling and transport of timber in Tamil Nadu.

ROSEWOOD

To cut and remove the Rosewood tree from any forest, which includes waste land or community land containing trees, shrubs and roads, pasture land and any other class of land declared by notification by the Government to be a forest, prior permission should be obtained from the Collector under Tamil Nadu Rosewood trees (Conservation) Act 1994.
            This act extends to the whole of the state of Tamil Nadu and remains in force for a period of fifteen years. In this no person shall cut, fell, girdle, lop, rap, uproot or burn or otherwise damage any rosewood tree in any forest or do any act likely to endanger its existence or result any rosewood extinction.

No person shall possess a quantity of any scheduled timber, more than 0.50 cubic meters unless the scheduled timber bears distinguishable Government mark or property mark affixed under the Tamil Nadu Timber Transit Rules 1968 as the case may be. However, there is no bar to grow any species including scheduled timber species in private lands.

No person shall move timber into or from or within the State by land, water or air unless such timber is accompanied by a permit issued by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. A Form-II permit for the movement of timber, fuelwood, bamboo from private lands to market or depot, shall on application be issued by the Ranger having jurisdiction on payment of prescribed fee at rate specified below.

The permit shall be valid only for the specified time mentioned in the permit by the issuing authority. No permit is necessary for the transport of timber within the limit of municipality or Corporation.
The following species are exempted from the purview of Tamil Nadu Timber Transit Rules and permit to transport them is not required.

• Small quantity of bamboo and fuelwood.
• Firewood purchased for domestic consumption.
• Parambai, Karuvel and Velikaruvai.
• Casuarina (Savukku)
• Savundal (Subabul).
• Eucalyptus Hybrid.
• Palmyrah.
• Poovarasu.
• Kalayana murungai.
• Odai.

SALE OF TIMBER

In Tamil Nadu, natural forests and timber plantations are not felled to cater the needs of timber. However, the dead wind fallen trees are sent to Forest Depot, and sold in public auction.