An Act to Provide for the Reforestation and Afforestation of Watersheds, Denuded Areas and Cogon or Open Lands within Forest Reserves, Communal Forests, National Parks and Timberlands, Sand Dunes, and Other Public Forest Lands, in the Philippines, and Providing the Necessary Funds therefor

June 9, 1938

COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 304

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE REFORESTATION AND AFFORESTATION OF WATERSHEDS, DENUDED AREAS AND COGON OR OPEN LANDS WITHIN FOREST RESERVES, COMMUNAL FORESTS, NATIONAL PARKS AND TIMBERLANDS, SAND DUNES, AND OTHER PUBLIC FOREST LANDS, IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY FUNDS THEREFOR

SECTION 1. There is appropriated out of the excise tax received by the Commonwealth Government from the United States the sum of one million pesos to be disbursed by the Director of Forestry, with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, for the reforestation and afforestation of watersheds, denuded areas and cogon or open lands within forest reserves, communal forests, national parks, and timberlands, sand dunes, and such other areas already certified as public forest lands, which upon investigation, are found needing reforestation or afforestation, or needing to be under forest cover for the growing of economic trees for timber, tannin, oils, gums, and other minor forest products or medicinal plants or for watersheds protection, or the prevention of erosion and floods, and the preparation of the necessary plans, estimates of costs, and other data.

SECTION 2. The money appropriated herein shall be available for expenditure for the purposes for which it is appropriated until December thirty-first nineteen hundred and forty-one.

SECTION 3. The Director of Forestry shall submit to the National Assembly, through the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce and the President of the Philippines, during the first ten days of its regular session for the years nineteen hundred and thirty-nine, nineteen hundred and forty, nineteen hundred forty-one, and nineteen hundred forty-two, a special report on the result of the work of reforestation and afforestation authorized by this Act, specifying the location and area of the sections reforested and afforested, the cost of the work accomplished, and such other data as may, in his judgment, be necessary for the information of the Assembly.

SECTION 4. The President is hereby authorized to suspend or otherwise stop the expenditure of any amount herein appropriated for any purpose, or of any portion thereof, whenever in his opinion the public interest so requires.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 9, 1938.