Circular on Emergency Sanitary Cutting of Dead Forest Trees

The Minister of Agriculture, Nizar Hani, issued a circular regarding "the regulation of emergency sanitary cutting of dead forest trees in their entirety, and the management of resulting timber, within the framework of enhancing protection of forest resources and curbing the spread of pests and diseases threatening forests and woodlands," establishing an exceptional and temporary mechanism "for rapid intervention in areas posing a threat to forest health, while simultaneously preserving live trees and natural regeneration, and preventing any unauthorized exploitation of forest resources."

The circular comes "in response to the need for swift action against trees that are entirely dead due to forest pests or diseases, which can become sources spreading infection to healthy trees, particularly in locations experiencing outbreaks of insects and diseases."

The Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that "this new measure does not constitute a general permit for cutting, but is exceptionally restricted to trees confirmed by technical inspection to be completely dead, and whose continued presence poses a risk to forest health or contributes to disease spread."

Conditional and Technical Inspection-Based Sanitary Cutting

Under the circular, rural development offices, through designated forestry centers and in coordination with municipalities, are responsible for identifying areas where forest pests and diseases are present and inventorying all completely dead trees in those areas.

Forestry centers prepare a technical report including the location of the trees, their number, species, condition, and land ownership, accompanied by a map and field photographs according to a standardized template developed by the Ministry of Agriculture for this purpose.

Inspections on private property are conducted in the presence of the landowner or their representative; on municipal property, in the presence of a municipal representative; and on state-owned land by the head of the relevant rural development office in collaboration with the forestry center.

The approved report serves as an exceptional authorization to carry out sanitary cutting operations, strictly limited to the specified boundaries and trees outlined in the document.

No Cutting of Living or Partially Dead Trees

The Ministry stressed that the circular "does not cover living trees or partially dead trees, nor does it permit in any way the change of land use or conversion of sanitary cutting activities into forestry or urban development projects."

Sanitary cutting operations are carried out under direct supervision of the designated forestry center and are strictly limited to trees specified in the approved report.

If any tree not covered by the report or not completely dead is cut, work is immediately halted, and legal measures are taken against the violators.

Timber Management to Prevent Pest Spread

The circular places special emphasis on managing the timber resulting from cutting, recognizing it as one potential pathway for pests and insects to spread to healthy trees.

According to the adopted mechanism, timber is debarked or cut on-site whenever possible, or directly transported to the location designated by the designated forestry center, where it is treated with approved insecticides following established procedures, including Lambda-cyhalothrin or Deltamethrin, thoroughly covered, or burned in a safe location with the approval of the designated forestry center and in accordance with applicable rules, especially regarding periods and conditions for fire use.

These measures aim to break the cycle of pest and disease transmission and prevent the spread from infected and dead trees to healthy ones.

Prohibition on Transporting or Selling Timber Before Treatment

The Ministry has subjected the transport of timber resulting from sanitary cutting to direct oversight, allowing transport only upon presentation of a transport permit issued by the designated forestry center, after verification that the required treatment has been completed.

Ownership of the timber and its intended use remain subject to the nature of land ownership and applicable laws and regulations, with a clear prohibition on transporting, selling, or storing timber before completing treatment in accordance with established procedures.

Thus, the Ministry links the exceptional authorization for sanitary cutting to a comprehensive set of monitoring procedures, beginning with technical inspection and tree identification and ending with timber treatment and documentation of its final destination.

Full Documentation for Every Sanitary Cutting Operation

The new mechanism requires the preparation of a final report after completion of operations, including the actual number of trees cut, the volume of resulting timber, the method of treatment, whether it was removed from the site, its final destination, and the transport permit number if applicable.

The report is archived in the records of the relevant regional office, accompanied by photos and related documents, enabling full traceability of the entire process—from inspection and authorization to treatment, transport, and disposal of timber.

Minister Hani affirmed that "this circular is part of the Ministry’s approach based on scientific and proactive management of forest resources," emphasizing that "controlling forest pests and diseases requires swift and well-considered intervention before infected trees turn into sources threatening the entire forest."

He explained that "sanitary cutting is neither commercial logging nor forestry investment, but an exceptional environmental and preventive measure aimed at protecting the forest from a source of danger, while keeping healthy trees and natural regeneration free from unnecessary intervention."

He stated: "We have adopted a clear mechanism combining speed of intervention, precision in inspection, strict oversight of implementation, and proper timber treatment, because protecting forests is not just about prohibiting cutting, but also about scientific intervention when a dead tree becomes a source of infestation and a threat to the forest ecosystem." Minister Hani also stressed that "the Ministry of Agriculture will monitor the implementation of this circular through its regional offices and forestry centers, strengthening coordination with municipalities, landowners, and relevant parties, ensuring forest and woodland protection and preventing any misuse of these exceptional measures beyond their preventive objectives."

This circular takes effect from the date of issuance and remains in force until December 31, 2027, requiring all concerned administrative and technical units to comply with its content, inspection, implementation, and documentation procedures, thereby enhancing the Ministry’s ability to respond swiftly to threats to Lebanon’s forest health and safeguarding forest resources as a national and environmental asset for future generations.