This Regional Act lays down amendments and addenda to Regional Act No. 16 of 6 April 1996, which has re-arranged the legislative framework in matter of forest protection. Article 4 of the above-mentioned Regional Act is hereby replaced by article 1, which gives a new definition of forest. Forests are surfaces of not less than 10,000 square metres with forest plants, trees and shrubs covering at least the fifty percent of the total surface. If such surfaces are temporarily lack of vegetation due