Positive changes in alternative forestation

Authorities inspect the care of replacement forests in Muong Muon commune, Muong Cha district. *Photo: Contributor*

As of 2023, the province has 63 projects with forest use purpose conversion approved in principle to pay for replacement forest planting, with a total area requested for conversion of nearly 674 hectares and an area required for replacement forest planting of nearly 844 hectares. Of which, hydropower projects mainly account for nearly 374 hectares; public projects (electricity, roads, schools, etc.) account for nearly 216 hectares.

To ensure the quality of replacement forests, the province has issued many documents directing, guiding and urging replacement forest planting units to plant, care for and protect in accordance with regulations on forestry management. At the same time, competent authorities regularly organize inspections and supervision during the implementation process and ensure that the replacement forest area meets the criteria for becoming a forest until the end of the investment period. If the area of planted forest at the time of acceptance and handover does not meet the criteria for becoming a forest according to regulations, and the cause is determined to be subjective (not due to natural disasters and force majeure conditions), the implementing unit must be responsible for reimbursing the cost of afforestation to the State.

To date, the total area of replacement forests planted in the province has reached nearly 884 hectares; of which nearly 300 hectares have completed the investment and care phase and have become forests, the remaining area is under investment and care. In 2023 alone, the whole province will plant more than 38 hectares of replacement forests.

In 2023, Dien Bien district was assigned the target of planting 5.26 hectares of new trees, implemented by the District Forest Protection Management Board. In order to complete the assigned target, the District Forest Protection Management Board actively promoted and mobilized people to participate, thanks to which by June 2023, the district had completed the target. In order to maintain and increase the survival rate of trees, the Management Board mobilized people to build fences to prevent damage by livestock, and regularly visit and check the growth process of trees. To date, the survival rate of trees has reached over 90%.

Along with the afforestation work, the monitoring and inspection of the results of the replacement afforestation are also regularly carried out by the competent authorities, to ensure that the project owner uses the funds for the right purposes. Through inspection, it is shown that the locations and areas of the basic afforestation are guaranteed according to the approved design documents; the density of the trees is 90% compared to the design density; the trees grow and develop well. The total area of the basic afforestation has implemented technical care measures according to the approved decision; the afforestation area is developing relatively well, without being burned or cut down, etc.

For areas of forestation that are not in accordance with regulations (newly planted in the first year) and areas of planting in the fourth year that have not yet become forests, the authorities require investors to increase replanting to ensure 100% of the planted area becomes forests. In addition, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund organizes inspections and assessments of the quality of replacement forests before transferring funds in stages according to the approved design and budget.

Currently, the area of replacement forestation is mainly concentrated in the districts of Muong Cha, Dien Bien, Tuan Giao and Muong Ang. Meanwhile, some localities have not actively registered for replacement forestation; the responsibility for replacement forestation of some investors is not high. The locations of replacement forestation are mostly in places with difficult terrain and traffic, which has significantly affected the inspection, supervision and guidance work. The impact of free-range livestock farming by people (most of the areas of replacement forestation that do not ensure quality are damaged by buffalo, cows and goats). The awareness of some households contracted to carry out replacement forestation is not good, so they have not followed the technical process according to the instructions of investors.

According to Ms. Dau Thi Giang, Deputy Head of the Forest Use and Development Division (Provincial Forest Protection Department), in the coming time, the unit will strengthen inspection and supervision to promptly direct investors to overcome limitations in the implementation process, and overcome forest areas that do not ensure quality. Monitor the use of seedlings with higher standards (diameter, height) than normal forest seedlings to limit damage by livestock. At the same time, investors who cannot overcome the planted forest areas that do not ensure quality will have to reimburse the invested funds to arrange for other units to implement.

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