Nghe An: More than 556 thousand hectares supported by forest environmental services
In the first 6 months of 2024, the Forest Protection and Development Fund has strived to ensure progress according to plan, and to pay forest environmental service fees to beneficiaries promptly and in accordance with regulations.
On the afternoon of July 29, Nghe An Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund held a preliminary review of the first 6 months of 2024, summarizing and evaluating the results of forest environmental service payments, replacement forest planting, and tasks for the last months of 2024.
Attending the conference were leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; members of the Fund Management Board, the Fund Control Board, forest owners who are organizations and district-level payment organizations (Forest Protection Department).
With the attention, direction, assistance and timely support of the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, the Fund Management Board, the Fund Control Board, relevant departments and branches; the active participation of local Party committees and authorities at all levels and the close coordination of agencies, forest owners, and the consensus of the people, the policy of payment for forest environmental services and replacement forest planting has been well implemented.
In the first 6 months of 2024, the Forest Protection and Development Fund signed 52 trust contracts (at hydropower production facilities, clean water production and supply facilities, and industrial production facilities) with a total revenue of more than 54.5 billion VND. At the same time, it focused on paying for forest environmental services in 2023 in a timely manner and in accordance with regulations.
Over the past 6 months, the Forest Protection and Development Fund has seriously collected 47 billion VND from the conversion of forest use purposes according to the area permitted by competent authorities and has allocated nearly 93 billion VND to units/projects (corresponding to an area of nearly 5,219 hectares).
Up to now, the total area of replacement forestation in the province is 4,625/4,845 hectares approved, reaching 95.5%.
During the implementation process, the Fund has proactively monitored, supervised, grasped, and regularly updated the implementation of environmental service payments and forest protection by forest owners; and the planting and care of replacement forests of projects through monthly reporting combined with on-site inspections.
In the first 6 months of 2024, the Fund organized 8 inspections and supervisions of reforestation, forest protection, and payments in the districts...
At the conference, delegates highly appreciated the policy of payment for forest environmental services and its positive impact on forest management, protection and development. Forests in Nghe An are better protected, and violations of laws on forest protection, development, and forest fire prevention and fighting have decreased over the years.
The policy of payment for forest environmental services has gradually contributed to stabilizing and ensuring forest area, maintaining forest cover, improving forest quality and contributing to improving the quality of the ecological environment.
The area of forest protection contract tends to increase annually. The total forest area paid in 2023 is more than 556,409 hectares, an increase of more than 1,000 hectares compared to 2022.
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Also at the conference, delegates focused on discussing and proposing many solutions to effectively implement the forest environmental service payment policy in the last 6 months of 2024.
