Parliament recognises that—
| • | everyone has the constitutional right to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations; |
| • | natural forests and woodlands form an important part of that environment and need to be conserved and developed according to the principles of sustainable management; |
| • | plantation forests play an important role in the economy; |
| • | plantation forests have an impact on the environment and need to be managed appropriately; |
| • | the State's role in forestry needs to change; and |
| • | the economic, social and environmental benefits of forests have been distributed unfairly in the past. |
