The Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial People's Council held a session to explain the work of land allocation, forest allocation, forest management, protection and development.

Overview of the explanation session on the results of land allocation; forest allocation; forest management, protection and development in Nghe An province. Photo: Thanh Duy

LARGEST AREA OF FOREST AND FORESTRY LAND IN THE COUNTRY

Nghe An is the province with the largest forest and forestry land area in the country, with a total planned area of ​​over 1.16 million hectares, accounting for 71.6% of the total natural area of ​​the province.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nhu Khoi opened the explanation session. Photo: Thanh Duy

According to the updated results of forest resource developments in 2022, the total forest area of ​​the province is more than 962,230 hectares (natural forest is nearly 789,934 hectares; planted forest is more than 172,296 hectares); and the area of ​​planted forest that has not yet become forest is about 51,844 hectares. Forest cover in 2022 reached 58.36%.

In the period of 2018 - 2022, Nghe An has allocated more than 158,611 hectares of forest associated with forestry land to 22,901 households and 317 communities; and allocated land, forests, and granted forestry land use right certificates to organizations for management and use with a total area of ​​556,127.85 hectares, of which, allocated to organizations such as the Management Board of protective forests and special-use forests is about 484,238 hectares, allocated to economic organizations is nearly 71,000 hectares, allocated to village and hamlet communities is nearly 921 hectares in Que Phong district.

Comrade Lo Thi Kim Ngan - Head of the Ethnic Committee of the Provincial People's Council asked questions at the explanation session. Photo: Thanh Duy

However, the results of forest allocation associated with forestry land allocation to households, individuals and communities according to the Project on land allocation, forest allocation and granting of Forest Land Use Right Certificates to households, individuals and communities in the province have only reached 59.68% compared to the approved Project.

At the same time, the results of land and forest allocation, and issuance of forest land use right certificates to organizations for management and use are still limited. Currently, most forest owners are organizations that have only been assigned to manage and use according to the establishment decision, have not been handed over in the field, have not been measured, allocated land, issued land use right certificates and have not set up boundary markers in accordance with regulations.

Comrade Phung Thanh Vinh - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province explained the contents that delegates were interested in. Photo: Thanh Duy

Along with that, the work of forest management and protection is also facing some difficulties, especially the number of staff, civil servants, public employees and workers is still lacking compared to the regulations; however, units still have to reduce the number of staff by 10% of the total number of staff assigned. The situation of civil servants and public employees requesting to transfer jobs or resigning is increasing, affecting the performance of tasks;...

At the explanation session, based on the opinions of the delegates, the leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, a number of related departments and branches, and the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee in charge of the field explained the contents surrounding the shortcomings and difficulties in assigning the task of protecting depleted natural forests; the role of State management agencies in resolving disputes, encroachment, and overlap of forestry land between forest owners and people, which are inherently quite complicated in some localities; solutions for managing, controlling, and supplying forestry plant varieties; allocating funds to implement the Project on land allocation, forest allocation, and granting of Forestry Land Use Right Certificates to households, individuals, and communities in the province; management responsibility for more than 40% of the forest area that has not been assigned according to the Project; regime for specialized forest protection forces, etc.

Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De speaks at the explanation session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee expressed his concerns when Nghe An is the province with the largest forest planning area, as well as the largest actual forest area in the country. However, the province is facing difficulties in developing forest advantages and forestry economy. Especially the forest area is large, but the area for forestry production in particular and economic development in general is limited.

To solve the above problem, according to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, it is necessary to have the participation of the Provincial Party Committee's leaders, the supervision of the Provincial People's Council, and the responsibility of organizing the implementation of the People's Committees at all levels in the province. In particular, the Standing Committee organizing a session to explain the results of the implementation of land allocation; forest allocation; forest management, protection and development in the province is an extremely important and necessary activity.

Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung speaks at the explanation session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Emphasizing that through the explanation session, issues that need to be addressed in the coming time have been raised, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung affirmed that the Provincial People's Committee will continue to seriously and effectively implement the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws on forest protection and development; seriously implement programs such as: Sustainable forestry development program for the period 2021-2025; National target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030;...

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also emphasized the solution of reviewing planning and standardizing forest areas, especially classifying 3 types of forests to improve the efficiency in implementing planning for 3 types of forests.

In particular, the head of the Provincial People's Committee said: On the basis of the new Resolution of the Politburo on Nghe An, which assigns the addition of specific mechanisms and policies, the province is assigning relevant agencies to coordinate in researching specific mechanisms and policies for forestry and forest economic development in the province.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung also said: The Provincial People's Committee will continue to allocate land, allocate forests, and grant forestry land use right certificates to organizations, individuals, and households according to regulations; as well as effectively deploy and carry out the Project on land allocation, forest allocation, and grant forestry land use right certificates to households, individuals, and communities in the province.

Nghe An will also increase investment attraction in the forest economy; focus on building the High-Tech Forestry Zone in the North Central Region; continue to improve the organizational and forest management apparatus and improve the efficiency of the forest rangers; review, supplement and perfect mechanisms and policies for forest owners.

EARLY ADJUST PLANNING FOR 3 TYPES OF FORESTS

Concluding the explanation session, Provincial Party Secretary and Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Council Thai Thanh Quy emphasized the need to organize an explanation session on the results of land allocation; forest allocation; forest management, protection and development in the province. Therefore, this is a very important issue, of great concern to the people and great attention to voters.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also highly appreciated the efforts in land allocation; forest allocation; forest management, protection and development; at the same time, pointed out a number of shortcomings and limitations that need attention.

Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy - Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Council delivered a concluding speech at the explanation session. Photo: Thanh Duy

On that basis, comrade Thai Thanh Quy suggested that in the coming time, it is necessary to regularly review the system of directive documents of the province and the Central Government in the province. If there are any inadequacies, backwardness, or impracticalities, then advise on adjustments and supplements to the documents under the province's authority and make recommendations and proposals if they are under the Central Government's authority, to effectively implement the work of land allocation, forest allocation, forest management, protection and development in the province.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also requested to carry out as quickly as possible the work of measuring, reviewing, marking boundaries and adjusting the planning of 3 types of forests; in that process, agree to remove from special-use forests and protection forests about 58,000 hectares of forest as reported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to add to the production forest area to be assigned to organizations and individuals; along with that, supplementing resources for implementation by making the most of other resources for implementation.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy also proposed to systematically and seriously evaluate and summarize Project 4213 on land and forest allocation and granting of forestry land use right certificates to households, individuals and communities in the province by the end of 2023; on that basis, propose solutions for the new period, especially, paying close attention to solutions to strengthen coordination between agencies, units and localities in land and forest allocation, forest management, protection and development.

Along with the formation and development of the High-tech Forestry Zone in the North Central region, the head of the Provincial People's Council suggested paying attention to calling for socialization to develop forests and the forestry sector, especially investing in the production of high-quality forestry tree varieties to provide to the people.

Forest protection force of Pu Mat National Park on patrol. Photo: PV

A very important issue also emphasized by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Council is the work of perfecting and consolidating the management apparatus, improving the operational efficiency of the forest rangers and agencies and organizations responsible for forest care and protection; thereby, requesting the Department of Home Affairs to study and streamline the payroll in a harmonious, appropriate, scientific and effective manner, so that the forest protection force is taken care of in terms of both human resources and policies.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy also proposed to resolutely implement measures to prevent and fight forest fires to minimize the number of damages and fires; strengthen inspection, examination, and urge units implementing forest management, protection, and development to effectively patrol and sweep to minimize violations of forestry laws; effectively implement mechanisms and policies on forest management, protection, and development, along with encouraging and creating conditions for people and other economic sectors to participate.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also agreed to propose that at the upcoming regular meeting of the Provincial People's Council, a resolution on mechanisms and policies for forest owners in forest management, protection and development will be considered and passed.

Comrade Nguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the session to listen to reports, review and give opinions on the results of the implementation of the announcements of the results of the explanation session of the Standing Committee of the 18th Provincial People's Council from the beginning of the 2021 - 2026 term to present. Photo: Thanh Duy