Natural Resources

Natural resources are natural occurrences which can be exploited as substance or energy. For example woods, waters, mining minerals and soil are regarded as natural resources. Traditionally natural resources are divided in two different types, namely renewable and non-renewable natural resources. The legislation regarding natural resources is comprised of regulation that affects different sectors. The Forest Act is applied to the management and utilization of forests in areas classified as forestry land with some exceptions. The Hunting Act contains provisions on hunting and The Fishing Act on fishing. Legislation regarding non-renewable natural resources is divided into provisions on mining minerals and provisions on utilizing other types of soil.

An essential question of interpretation concerns the sustainable use of natural resources, which means such utilization of resources that the natural capacity to renew is retained. This question is especially linked to forest management, hunting and fishing. In the use of ground water, the principle results in efforts to maintain a certain level of utilization, so that the quality of the ground water resource would not deteriorate.

However, the utilization of mining minerals is usually driven by financial and technical aspects. Restrictions concern the forms and location of the mining activities as well as the impacts the activity has on values regarding land use and nature conservation. Other exctraction of land is, in turn, guided mostly by scenic values and aspects concerning nature conservation and habitation.