Double benefits from paying for forest environmental services

Increasing forest cover, creating jobs and increasing income for people - these are dual benefits when effectively implementing the policy of payment for forest environmental services (PFES) in Quang Tri province.

Officers of Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve patrol to protect the forest - Photo: HT

According to the decision to announce the forest status in 2022 dated February 27, 2023 of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province, the province's forest land area is 285,878 hectares, the forest land area is 248,121.6 hectares, of which the area paid for forest environmental services according to the provisions of Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP of the Government is 50,092.32 hectares.

In the province, there are currently 10 hydropower plants and 1 clean water business facility using forest environmental services to make entrustment payments through the Forest Protection and Development Fund. Of these, 6 hydropower plants and 1 clean water business facility have signed entrustment contracts through the Quang Tri Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund. The remaining 4 hydropower plants have signed entrustment contracts with the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund.

In order for the policy of payment for forest environmental services to maximize its effectiveness in the task of building and developing forest capital in Quang Tri province, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund has coordinated with local authorities and functional agencies to widely disseminate and propagate to people in communes, those who directly participate in and benefit from the policy of payment for forest environmental services to ensure that the forest environment is protected and developed sustainably.

On the other hand, in order to ensure the payment of forest environmental services on schedule and reasonably regulate the source of forest environmental services, limit the difference in unit prices between basins, the Executive Board of the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund has advised the Provincial People's Committee to approve the unit price of forest environmental services payment for the Rao Quan, Ha Rao Quan and Khe Nghi Hydropower basins with the unit price of 800,000 VND/ha/year and the unit price of 300,000 VND/ha/year for the basins of hydropower plants on the Dakrong, La La and Khe Giong rivers and make an estimate of revenue and expenditure of the source of forest environmental services payment, replacement forest planting money, and the estimate of management costs of the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund in Decision No. 1032/QD-UBND dated May 19, 2023.

On that basis, the unit has made timely payments to forest owners to effectively manage and protect forests in the basins of hydropower plants. Specifically, in 2023, the Quang Tri Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund paid nearly 20 billion VND to forest owners in the basin, and over 661 million VND to support scattered tree planting for agencies and units in the province.

Revenue from forest environmental service payments has contributed positively to forest protection and management and poverty reduction for people in 16 remote communes in the two mountainous districts of Huong Hoa and Dakrong, contributing to improving the lives of more than 2,137 households and individuals; 35 village communities; 9 household groups and 89 groups contracted to protect forests by forest owners who are organizations, commune People's Committees, and organizations assigned by the State to manage forests.

Also in the past time, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund has paid special attention to the propaganda and dissemination of the State's policies on the Forestry Law and Decree 156/2018 in many different forms.

In 2023 alone, from the DVMTR budget, the Forest Protection and Development Fund installed 10 propaganda information boards at key points and village community houses. Propagating DVMTR policies at Huc Nghi Primary and Secondary School, through which 1,400 student notebooks and 135 backpacks were distributed to students in the entire school. In addition, propaganda work was also carried out through magazines and local reality television reports.

People of Trang - Ta Puong village, Huong Viet commune, Huong Hoa district participate in patrolling and protecting the forest - Photo: HT

According to Director of the Forest Protection and Development Fund of Quang Tri province, Tran Xuan Duong, revenue from forest protection service payments has contributed positively to forest protection and management and poverty reduction, contributing to creating income and improving the lives of people in the two mountainous districts of Huong Hoa and Dakrong.

Through the policy of payment for forest environmental services, organizations, households and communities have clearly recognized the importance of forests and actively participated in forest protection work. Forest fires, encroachment on forest land and illegal logging have gradually been limited.

In particular, the implementation of paying for DVMTR through bank accounts is very quick, saves time, has few risks, is public, transparent and is highly supported by the people.

For forest owners who are organizations assigned by the State, the budget for paying for forest environmental services is a reasonable source of revenue for forest owners to self-account for public service units and proactively pay labor contract salaries to employees working in forest protection.

In the coming time, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund will continue to strengthen inspection of the management and use of forest protection service funds by forest owners, commune People's Committees and the Provincial Border Guard Command, including the use of management funds and payment to contracted entities according to regulations.

At the same time, continue to coordinate with commercial banks to work with local authorities, forest owners, and forest protection contracting teams to propagate and guide access to transactions through the banking system; find appropriate solutions to support recipients of forest protection money from forest environmental services in the most convenient and simple way without taking much time, ensuring publicity and transparency, helping state agencies to conveniently inspect and supervise. Promote propaganda and communication activities on forest environmental service payment policies through many forms; support the development of infrastructure in difficult areas, create motivation and improve the livelihoods of people in highland areas to encourage people to stick with the forest.

It can be affirmed that the implementation of the policy of payment for forest environmental services has significantly contributed to increasing the production value of the forestry sector, promoting local socio-economic development, and reducing the burden on the state budget in the national forestry development strategy.

In particular, the effective implementation of this policy has changed people's awareness in forest management and protection, gradually creating livelihoods for people living on forestry. Thereby improving living conditions, creating jobs for people in remote areas of the province; contributing to the successful implementation of poverty reduction policies, ensuring political security, order and social safety.

Ha Trang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/loi-ich-kep-tu-viec-chi-tra-dich-vu-moi-truong-rung-189444.htm