Expedite the process of preparing technical design documents for forest protection.

(Baonghean.vn) -On the morning of March 16th, under the chairmanship of Mr. Hoang Viet Duong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Chairman of the Forest Protection and Development Fund Council, the Provincial People's Committee held a working session on several issues related to the activities of the Nghe An Forest Protection and Development Fund.

The Nghe An Forest Protection and Development Fund primarily mobilizes entrusted revenue from payments for forest environmental services from hydropower plants and clean water production and supply facilities to operate. Over the past three years, the unit has achieved remarkable results, particularly in the implementation of the forest environmental service payment policy. This has not only raised the sense of responsibility of forest owners and increased the number of households participating in forest protection, but also promoted the socialization of forestry, contributing positively to poverty reduction and social welfare, especially in remote areas of the province.

Thanks to effective measures, the cumulative total revenue has reached over 169 billion VND, and the cumulative total expenditure is over 56.5 billion VND. The unit has completed the signing of entrustment contracts with 14 facilities using forest ecosystem services that have commenced operations throughout the province. Simultaneously, the unit has completed the review of watershed boundaries and forest status, and received approval from the Provincial People's Committee for the watersheds of the Hua Na, Sao Va, Ban Coc, Nam Mo, Ban Canh, and Khe Bo hydropower plants.

Comrade Hoang Viet Duong chaired the meeting.

Comrade Nguyen Tien Lam - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, delivered his remarks.

Comrade Nguyen Khac Lam - Director of the Forest Protection and Development Fund - reported on the operational situation.

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Viet Duong acknowledged and highly appreciated the results achieved by the Fund in the past period. He also noted that the unit should expedite the preparation of technical design documents for forest protection to facilitate the payment of forest environmental service fees, and complete the 2014 management-level acceptance work to proceed with the payment of forest environmental service fees to forest owners in hydropower basins…

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Finance to continue directing forest owners (organizations) and forest protection units to focus on building and submitting for approval technical design documents for forest protection to serve the payment of forest environmental services; to direct subordinate units to prioritize the timely appraisal of watershed review documents and forest protection design documents, and to promptly approve the results of the 2014 management-level acceptance according to their authority; to pay attention to guiding the financial settlement of management expenditures and payments for forest environmental services for the years 2012 and 2013; and to disseminate the policy on payment of forest environmental services through various forms to raise people's awareness of participating in forest management and protection.

Phu Huong