Promoting sustainable forestry development

In recent years, Quang Ninh has paid special attention to developing a green and sustainable economy. In addition to attracting large investors and enterprises with modern and environmentally friendly processing and manufacturing technology, Quang Ninh also focuses on promoting afforestation, developing sustainable forestry, keeping the green "lungs" greener, creating sources of water and fresh air.

Every year, after the Lunar New Year, the whole Quang Ninh province starts planting trees at the beginning of the year to follow the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh: "Spring is the season for planting trees, making the country more and more springy". Like the spring of the year of Giap Thin 2024, departments, branches and localities in the province have planted over 1 million trees in concentrated forests and scattered trees in urban and rural areas. In particular, focusing on planting large timber forests, indigenous trees with high economic value, focusing on planting forests with lim, giổi, and lát; planting restored trees, restoring the environment, developing into large timber forests to ensure the goal of protecting and developing sustainable forests.

In 2024, Quang Ninh province strives to achieve and exceed the set plan of concentrated afforestation of 13,250 hectares (planting 1,000 hectares of lim, giổi, and lát) and planting 950,000 scattered trees in urban and rural areas; maintaining a forest cover rate of 55% associated with improving forest quality.

To carry out this task, in the first 6 months of the year, the agricultural sector has closely followed the province's direction to advise and implement forest planting work to ensure the set plan. Up to now, the concentrated forest planting area of the whole province has reached over 10,000 hectares, reaching 94.4% of the scenario, of which large timber forest planting has reached 650 hectares, equal to 65% of the yearly plan. The output of exploited forest wood has reached over 457,000m3, up 8.3% over the same period and reaching 100% of the growth scenario in 6 months. The whole province continues to maintain and ensure a stable forest cover rate of 55%.

To continue to encourage sustainable forestry development in the area, especially large timber plantation, at the 19th Session, the 14th Provincial People's Council passed Resolution No. 37/NQ-HDND dated July 10, 2024 on Regulations on a number of specific policies to encourage sustainable forestry development in Quang Ninh province.

The Resolution specifically stipulates the scope of regulation, subjects of application, principles, conditions of application, policies to support large timber forest planting, policies to support production under forest canopy... In particular, for the policy to support large timber forest planting, the maximum support is not more than 20 million VND/ha/cycle to buy seedlings and care; support 400,000 VND/ha for the cost of making a plan to plant large timber forests and produce under forest canopy. The State provides a budget with a maximum level of not more than 20 million VND/ha for units of the People's Armed Forces to plant large timber forests. Support for entrusted loans through the Social Policy Bank for members of cooperatives, households, and individuals: The loan amount according to the approved plan to plant large timber forests and produce under forest canopy but not more than 30 million VND/ha. The loan interest rate is equal to the interest rate for loans to poor households as prescribed by the Prime Minister for each period. The loan term is based on the plan for planting large timber forests and production under the forest canopy, but not exceeding 25 years. In the first 5 years, customers do not have to pay the principal. The total loan amount of over 200 million VND/household or individual to implement the support policies in this Resolution must be guaranteed according to the regulations of the Social Policy Bank.

For the policy of supporting production under the forest canopy, the maximum support is not more than 10 million VND/ha of large timber forest to buy seedlings and breeds. Support for entrusted loans through the Social Policy Bank for members of cooperatives, households and individuals: The maximum loan amount is not more than 30 million VND/ha of large timber forest planting area approved according to regulations. The loan interest rate is equal to the lending interest rate for poor households prescribed by the Prime Minister in each period. The loan term is according to the approved plan of planting large timber forests and production under the forest canopy but not more than 5 years. The total loan amount of over 200 million VND/household, individual to implement the policies in this Resolution must be guaranteed according to the regulations of the Social Policy Bank.

The provincial budget implementation funding source comes from the funding source for the implementation of the Sustainable Forestry Development Program, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, related programs, projects, and other legal capital sources; The provincial budget is annually allocated to entrust the Quang Ninh Provincial Social Policy Bank Branch to provide loans.

In the forestry development strategy for the period 2021-2025, Quang Ninh province aims to develop over 12,800 hectares of large timber forests. Of which, 7,271 hectares will be newly planted, and 5,554 hectares will be converted from small timber forests to large timber forests, focusing mainly on planting trees with high economic value such as: Lim, giổi, and Lát.

In order to successfully achieve the afforestation target in the coming years, it is necessary to issue a number of specific policies to encourage sustainable forestry development in the province, thereby encouraging people, forest owners, and forestry enterprises to actively plant forests, especially large timber forests. Thereby, contributing to the implementation of policies and orientations to transform the growth model from "brown" to "green", protect the environment, and respond to climate change.

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