The Forest Management Act was passed and enacted in 2018.

Since this is an important act for the governance of Japan's forests and may have global implications, we will create a page explaining the act for those outside of Japan.

Figure 1 is a diagram created by the Forestry Agency to explain the purpose of the act

In Japan, artificial forests planted after World War II and during the period of rapid economic growth have grown to a large size and are approaching the point where they can be used as lumber. It can be said that we have entered a new era in which forest resources in Japan are being used in a cyclical manner: "cut down, use, and plant".

Fig1

On the other hand, forests in Japan are owned on a small scale and in a decentralized manner. The long-term stagnation of the forestry industry and the generational change of forest owners have caused forest owners to lose interest in forests, resulting in situations where forests are not properly managed or where forests are not planted after harvesting. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to integrate and consolidate the management of forests that are not being properly managed and administered to forestry managers. (Figure 1)

Along with this, it is necessary to ensure that municipalities manage forests where this is not possible, thereby ensuring both the growth of forestry as a growth industry and the proper management of forests. It is against this backdrop that the Forest Management Law was established. (Figure 2)

The law raises important issues, but it is also a system that faces major challenges, such as the system of municipalities that manage the overall system.

The text of the act we translated in English (informal translation) is posted here.

We will follow up with you in the future.

（G policy>FMA)