166
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 24TH FEBRUARY, 1905.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 109.
The following Rules are published.
By Command,
F. H. MAY, Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 22nd February, 1905.
RULES
Made by the Governor in Council, under section 3 of the New Territories (Regulation) Ordinance, 1899,
FORESTRY LICENCES.
1. The Superintendent, Botanical and Afforestation Department, and the Assistant Land Officer in the New Territories may jointly issue and re-issue Forestry Licences to persons to cultivate pine trees on unoccupied Crown Land in the New Territories Cultivation of pine trees means resowing whenever trees are felled and sowing trees on land where none have previously been grown.
2. Upon receipt of an application for a Forestry Licence the area applied for shall be marked out and notice posted in an approved form and manner at least 14 days before the licence is issued stating that application for the area defined by marks has been made.
3. After Licence has been issued the Licensee must mark out the land in respect of which he is granted a licence clearly at each corner with a board or stone bearing the licence number and must maintain such marks during the term of his licence.
4. Such Licence does not confer upon the Licensee ownership of the ground nor of its natural products.
5. The Licensee must not desecrate any existing grave on the land in respect of which he holds a licence, nor interfere with future burials, and he must leave a clear space of grass one Cheung in width round every grave on his lot.
6. The Licensee must not interfere with the cutting of grass on the land in respect of which he holds a licence.
grass.
7. On the other hand grass-cutters must not injure the pine trees or unduly denude the land of
8. The Licensee must not interfere with persons in pursuit of their lawful avocations passing over the land in respect of which he holds a licence.
9. For each Licence a fee at the rate of 10 cents per acre per annum will be charged. The fee must be paid in advance.
At the end of the first year the licences may be renewed at the reduced rate of 2 cents per acre per annum if it is found on inspection that the plantation is in good order with the trees on each acre of about the same size and with their branches nearly touching, the lower living branches not removed and the ground not denuded. Such plantations will be called "A' Plantations." If the plantation is not in a satisfactory condition the renewal will be at the original rate. Such plantations will be called B' Plantations."
10. The Licensee may fell pine trees in his plantations, but no licensee may fell more than one- fourth of the trees in his plantations in any one year and no licensee shall fell any wild trees. If in the opinion of the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department more than one-fourth of the trees in any plantation are felled in any one year, the Superintendent may refuse to re-issue the licence for such plantation.
11. The Government reserves the right to withdraw the licence at any time upon payment for the planted trees and of the outstanding part of the fee
12. The Government to have the first offer of trees on 466 A' Plantations" when the licensee wishes to dispose of them
13. Payments for timber may be made in cash at the current rates or in the equivalent in mature timber from Government plantations at the option of the licensee.
Council Chamber, Hongkong, 20th February, 1905.
S. B. C. Ross,
Clerk of Councils.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.