It is illegal to light fires in a forested or wooded area

It’s illegal to light fires, hunt or farm in forests

The law makes it an offence to light fires or drop any flammable substance in a forest reserve, protected area or forest management area.

The protection of Jamaica’s forests is a primary concern of the government which has enacted laws to prevent damage to and protect forests.

It also an offence to damage trees in a forest and you could be fined for carrying on farming activities. Even taking a saw or cutlass into a forest is an offence and so too is hunting for animals or birds.

According to Section 30 subsection 1 of the Forest Act, there is provision for persons to cut trees in a forest reserve so long as the individual is the holder of a licence for that purpose issued by the Conservator of Forests.

Subsection 2 however makes it clear the penalties for a breach.

“Any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such and imprisonment.”

The appointed officer known as the Conservator of Forests holds the responsibility for the protection of what is known as Crown Lands under the Forest Management and Conservation Plan.

Crown Land includes all waste or vacant land in the island vested in the Commissioner of Lands in trust for the Government of Jamaica, and all land leased by the Commissioner of Lands on behalf of the Government of Jamaica as forest reserves.

The Forest Act clearly sets out the offences for which one could be fined.

Section 31 subsection 1 says:

… any person who, in any forest reserve, protected area or forest management area-

(a) fells, cuts, girdles, marks, lops, taps, uproots or burns any tree, strips off the bark or leaves from or otherwise damages any tree;

(b) wilfully or by gross negligence causes any damage in felling any tree cutting or dragging any timber;

(c) kindles, keeps or carries any fire;

(d) without reasonable cause lights or throws down or drops any match or other lighted inflammable material;

(e) clears, cultivates or breaks up any land for cultivation or for any other purpose;

(f) establishes or carries on any forest industry;

(g) carries any saw, axe, adze, auger or cutlass;

(h) removes soil, sand or gravel;

(i) kills, wounds or captures any wild birds or animals,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand dollars and in default of payment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

(2) Any person who, in any forest reserve, protected area or forest management area-

(a) except in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3), erects any building or shelter, or removes any forest produce, or carries a firearm;

(b) knowingly counterfeits on any tree or timber, or has in his possession any implement for counterfeiting a mark used by forest officers to indicate that any tree or timber is the property of Government or of some person or may be lawfully felIed or removed by some person;

(c) unlawfully or fraudulently affixes to any tree or timber a mark used by forest officers;

(d) alters, defaces or obliterates any mark placed on any tree or timber by or under the authority of a forest officer;

(e) pastures cattle or permits cattle to trespass;

(f) damages, alters or removes any notice-board, landmark, wall, fence, ditch, embankment, hedge or railing;

(g) assaults or obstructs a forest officer, a constable or any other person acting in the  execution of his duty under this Act, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars and in default of payment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months.

The Forestry Department is the Executive Agency charged with managing and conserving Jamaica's forest resources, particularly those found on public lands.  About 40 per cent of Jamaica is forested, 26 percent - which is approximately 116,862 hectares of the forested lands- are on Crown Lands.

The functions of the Agency are mandated under the Forest Act, 1996 and are aimed at managing forests on a sustainable basis to maintain and increase the environmental services and economic benefits they provide.

In 1937, the passage of the first Forest Act created a Forest Branch within the (then) Lands Department.

Changes throughout the years have included administration under the Ministry of Agriculture (1938), the Ministry of the Environment (2011), the Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment & Climate Change (2020) and currently the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation (2022).

The Agency was officially designated as an Executive Agency in 2010, to enable greater organisational capacity, capability, effectiveness, productivity and accountability.