The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Act 1871.”

The Governor may from time to time upon the application of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of any Province by Proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette declare this Act to be in operation in any Province or in any district being part of a Province to be defined in such Proclamation and on a day to be fixed in such Proclamation this Act shall come into operation in such Province or District.

If any person shall plant any land not being less than one acre in extent with forest trees he shall be entitled to receive in respect of every acre of land so planted a free grant of two acres of rural land of the Waste Lands of the Crown which may be open for sale within the Province in which the trees are planted Provided that no Crown grant shall be issued until it be satisfactorily shown that the land has been devoted to purposes of planting only for at least two years that the trees are in a vigorous and healthy state and that the land is securely fenced against both sheep and cattle.

The Governor in Council may from time to time make regulations for defining the number and description of trees to be planted on each acre and the other terms and conditions to be fulfilled by persons claiming a free grant of land under the provisions of this Act and upon the certificate of the Superintendent of the Province or of an officer appointed by him for that purpose that the terms and conditions herein expressed as well as those prescribed in such regulations have been complied with the person to whom such certificate is given shall be entitled on the production of such certificate to the Waste Lands Board or Commissioner of Crown Lands for such Province to receive a free grant of the amount of land to which such certificate shall prove him to be entitled.

No grant shall be issued under the provisions of this Act for less than twenty nor more than two hundred and fifty acres but if any person shall under the said provisions be entitled to a less extent than twenty acres of land he may pay the balance in cash upon the same terms as other applicants for rural lands under the Waste Lands Regulations of the Province.

Every parcel of land granted under the provisions of this Act shall be subject to the same conditions as to form and frontage as any rural land sold under the ordinary Waste Lands Regulations in force within the Province.

No land once planted shall entitle the planter to more than one grant in respect to the same.