Fisheries, Game Management and Forestry

Guides and forms to download

• Hunting planning
• Temporary restriction or prohibition of access to the forest
• Withdrawal and restriction of forest land up to 1 ha.
• Notification of the commencement of the expropriation process
• Doubt as to whether a plot of land is intended to fulfil forest functions
• Declaration of land as intended to fulfil forest functions
• Consent to the division of a forest plot
• Granting of a licence to act as a professional forest manager
• Appointment of a gamekeeper
• Appointment of a fisheries warden
• Issue of a hunting licence
• Issuing of a fishing licence
• Exemption from the ban on commercial felling in stands up to 60 years of age
• Exemption from statutory time limits for afforestation and the maintenance of plantations
• Binding opinion on the location of a structure and a change of land use on forest land / change of land use
• Binding opinion on the siting of a structure within 30 metres of the forest edge
• Application for authorisation to reduce the population of cloven-hoofed game for which no minimum or standard population levels have been set in the hunting ground

List of activities

Pursuant to Act No. 289/1995 Coll., on Forests, it performs the functions of a state forestry administration body. These activities primarily include the following:

• decides on cases of doubt as to whether land is designated to fulfil forest functions;
• deciding on the designation of land as land intended to fulfil forest functions;
• deciding on approval of proposals for spatial planning documentation which would affect forest land;
• deciding on exemptions from the prohibition on the use of forest land for other purposes;
• receives notifications regarding the carrying out of geological and hydrogeological surveys, where no consent is required;
• decides on granting consent for the issue of a planning permission decision affecting land designated for forestry purposes covering up to 1 ha of forest;
• decides on consent to the issue of a decision on the siting of a structure or land use within 30 metres of the forest edge;
• decides on the division of forest land where the area of one parcel falls below 1 ha;
• decides on the withdrawal of forest land from its forest function up to an area of 1 ha or on restrictions on its use for that function, and on the amount of the fee for such withdrawal;
• decides on the temporary restriction or prohibition of access to the forest;
• decides on granting exemptions from the prohibition on certain activities in the forest;
• decides on the conditions for holding organised or mass sporting events in the forest;
• decides on the recognition of selected trees and forest stands;
• decides on the imposition of measures in cases of exceptional circumstances;
• decides on exemptions from the ban on clear-cutting in forest areas younger than 60 years;
• decides on the conditions for forest transport across third-party land;
• decides on the granting or revocation of licences to practise as a professional forester;
• imposes fines for administrative offences and penalties for unlawful conduct;
• decides on the imposition of measures to remedy identified shortcomings, measures to improve the condition of forests and the fulfilment of their functions, and on the suspension or restriction of production or other activities in the forest in cases of imminent damage;
• decides on the necessary measures to avert imminent danger;
• keeps a register of leases and loans of land intended for the fulfilment of forest functions;
• ensures the preparation of management plans;
• issues measures for the eradication of harmful organisms;
• authorises the felling of designated trees or stands;
• grants exemptions from the specified size or width of clear-cutting;
• grants exemptions from the statutory time limits for afforestation and the establishment of plantations;
• appoints and dismisses forest rangers;
• issues decisions on the granting or revocation of licences in accordance with the law;
• compiles data from the forest management register and forwards it to the relevant state authority;
• supervises compliance with the Act, implementing regulations and decisions.

Pursuant to Act No. 149/2003 Coll., on the placing on the market of reproductive material of forest tree species of forestry significance and artificial hybrids, intended for forest regeneration and afforestation, and amending certain related Acts (the Act on Trade in Forest Tree Reproductive Material), it carries out the following activities:

• decides on the imposition of fines;
• supervises compliance by natural and legal persons with the provisions of this Act, the regulations issued for its implementation and the decisions issued on the basis thereof, and imposes measures to remedy any deficiencies found.

Pursuant to Act No. 449/2001 Coll., on Game Management, it acts as the state authority in the field of game management:

• receives reports from gamekeepers regarding the killing of feral farm animals and free-roaming, identified animals from farm-raised herds;
• determines the quality class of a hunting ground;
• issues decisions on the recognition of hunting grounds;
• grants exemptions from the ban on releasing game that has been reared in captivity into hunting grounds;
• grants consent for the introduction of additional species of game into a hunting ground;
• grants consent for the temporary keeping of red foxes in captivity for the purpose of training hunting dogs;
• decides on the location of salt licks, watering holes or facilities for supplementary feeding of game in cases where the owner of the hunting ground does not give consent to their construction and location;
• communicates the requirements necessary for the protection of game and the rights of legal and natural persons during mass events held in the countryside;
• registers hunting associations (HS) and their articles of association, assigns HS identification numbers, and acts as the editor in the system of basic registers;
• maintains the Register of Hunting Associations, produces copies and extracts from it, and issues official certificates;
• decides on the incorporation into a hunting ground of hunting plots which do not form part of the association’s own hunting ground;
• authorises changes to the hunting ground by adjusting boundaries or exchanging hunting plots;
• authorises changes to the hunting ground resulting from changes in ownership of hunting plots;
• decides on minimum or standard game populations for the hunting ground in question;
• accepts notifications of the dissolution of a hunting ground;
• maintains a register of hunting grounds and a record of their use; - maintains a register of gamekeepers and gamekeeping assistants, including their personal details, dates and the issue of licences, as well as a register of hunting dogs used for hunting;
• appoints and dismisses the gamekeeper;
• appoints and dismisses gamekeepers;
• receives the report on the results of the game census annually;
• comments on the draft game management plan;
• decides (in cases of disagreement between the owner and the user of the hunting ground) on the determination of the plan;
• gives its opinion on the hunting of game (certain species of ungulates) without restriction and without the plan being discussed;
• receives reports and compiles statistical reports on hunting;
• authorises, or may require, the user of the hunting ground to reduce the game population;
• authorises hunting outside the hunting season for scientific purposes; - authorises hunting on non-hunting grounds as part of the regulation of the population of certain game species (e.g. feral pigeons);
• issues and collects hunting licences;
• issues non-removable, accountable seals to hunting ground users;
• imposes fines for all administrative offences and penalties for unlawful conduct.

Pursuant to Act No. 99/2004 Coll., on fisheries, it performs the functions of a state authority in the field of fisheries:

• issues and collects fishing licences;
• appoints, dismisses and removes fisheries wardens;
• issues service badges and fishing warden identity cards;
• maintains a register of fisheries wardens;
• receives reports of irregularities arising from the activities of fisheries wardens, and deals with offences and administrative offences.