Directive No. 334/CT-TTg on strengthening measures to organize and implement the Project to plant five million hectares of new forests

DIRECTIVE

On Strengthening Measures for Organizing and Implementing the Project to Plant Five Million Hectares of New Forests

In recent years, ministries, sectors, and localities have made many efforts in organizing and implementing the targets set forth in Resolution No. 73/2006/QH11 dated November 29, 2006 of the National Assembly's 11th session regarding the project to plant five million hectares of new forests. From 2006 to the end of 2008, the whole country planted 614,113 hectares of new forests, achieving 61.4% of the assigned tasks (including 139,171 hectares of protective and special-use forests, and 474,942 hectares of production forests); ring-fenced and nurtured 1,030,000 hectares; and contracted forest protection for 2,300,000 hectares.

To complete the targets and tasks according to Resolution No. 73/2006/QH11 of the National Assembly, from now until the end of 2010, it is necessary to plant approximately 386,000 hectares of new forests (including planting 111,000 hectares of protective and special-use forests and 275,000 hectares of production forests); continue ring-fencing and nurturing forests, and contracting forest protection. The Prime Minister requests leaders of ministries, sectors, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to implement the following contents well:

1. Fully understand and enhance responsibility in directing and managing to fully implement all targets and tasks set forth in Resolution No. 73/2006/QH11 of the National Assembly on planting five million hectares of new forests, with particular attention to completing the target of planting protective and special-use forests. Each year, specific targets and plans are detailed in resolutions of various levels of Party committees and People's Councils and assigned to People's Committees at all levels to organize implementation. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee is responsible before the Prime Minister for the results of implementing the plan to plant five million hectares of new forests assigned to their locality up to 2010.

2. Based on the results achieved by the end of 2008 and the needs for protecting and developing forests according to planning, localities should direct the review and construction of investment projects for protecting and developing forests, propose plans for contracting forest protection, ring-fencing and nurturing forests, and planting new forests... for the years 2009 and 2010, with specific locations and names on maps and on-site in the basic projects; develop solutions and calculate resource allocation to organize the implementation of projects effectively in their localities.

3. Continue to promote education and propaganda among the people to perform well in forest protection and development work, closely coordinate forces to strictly handle acts that harm forests. Consolidate the organizational structure of Forest Protection Management Boards and Five Million Hectares of New Forests Project Management Boards, strengthen the grassroots extension system, organize training and instruction for management and technical staff at all levels, regularly inspect and urge the implementation of basic projects to ensure quality and prevent waste.

4. Regarding land allocation, forest allocation, and forest leasing: localities should promptly review land, reorganize state-owned forestry enterprises, implement land allocation, forest allocation, land leasing, and forest leasing so that households and economic sectors can organize forest protection and development according to approved planning and plans.

5. Regarding forest tree seedling management: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should cooperate with localities to vigorously carry out management, development, and utilization of high-quality seedlings for concentrated forest planting, scattered tree planting, model building, and transferring advanced forestry techniques through the grassroots extension system, helping farmers and businesses to achieve high productivity and quality in forest planting.

6. Regarding scattered tree planting: continue to maintain and widely launch the movement of scattered tree planting throughout the country, mobilize all social strata, utilize transportation routes, canals, ditches, urban areas, residential areas, and all available land of agencies, units, households, and other lands to plant scattered trees, aiming to achieve practical benefits both economically and environmentally. Strive to plant more than 300 million scattered trees annually.

Local People's Committees are responsible for developing detailed planning and plans for scattered tree planting down to each grassroots unit, organizing specific guidance, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation in their localities; establishing specific management mechanisms to facilitate care, protection, and utilization of planted trees by those who plant them; assigning management of planted trees to village self-management or community organizations to plant on public lands. Villages need to establish internal agreements to ensure that only trees that survive are kept.

Units and localities should proactively arrange and integrate into central and local programs within their jurisdiction to ensure funding for scattered tree planting.

Each year, units and localities must report the situation of planting, protecting, and utilizing scattered trees to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister.

7. Regarding food support for people to plant forests instead of shifting cultivation: accelerate the progress of building and implementing the Plan to Provide Food Support for Ethnic Minority People to Plant Forests Instead of Shifting Cultivation... while creating conditions to encourage businesses and households to actively plant forests and benefit from forests.

8. The Ministry of Planning and Investment must ensure sufficient funding allocation to implement Decision No. 100/2007/QĐ-TTg dated July 6, 2007 of the Prime Minister on amending and supplementing some objectives, tasks, policies, and implementation organization of the Project to Plant Five Million Hectares of New Forests, Decision No. 147/2007/QĐ-TTg dated September 10, 2007 of the Prime Minister on some policies for forest development and production during the period 2007-2015, and Decision No. 164/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 11, 2008 to complete the targets and tasks according to Resolution No. 73/2006/QH11 dated November 29, 2006 of the National Assembly's 11th session.

In the first quarter of 2009, allocate the three-year capital plan for 2009-2011 for localities to take the initiative in implementation, ensuring completion of remaining tasks by 2010 according to Resolution No. 73/2006/QH11 of the National Assembly.

9. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to study and amend the financial management mechanism and the implementation organization of projects under the approved investment model; payment and disbursement based on the actual annual project volume, regardless of the annual work volume plan, aiming to help localities proactively complete assigned targets early.

10. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to guide localities in transferring forestry land to organizations, households, individuals, and village communities, ensuring that each area of land has a specific owner to carry out the remaining tasks of the five million hectare forest planting project.

11. The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union shall be responsible before the Prime Minister for the results of implementing the five million hectare forest planting plan assigned to their units until 2010, closely coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to strengthen guidance, supervision, and mobilization of forces within their sectors to effectively organize the implementation of annual tasks and targets.

12. Ministries, sectors, and member organizations in the State Steering Committee of the Five Million Hectare Forest Planting Project shall actively perform their assigned tasks and have the responsibility to guide and assist localities in completing their tasks.

13. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for monitoring, directing, and urging localities to implement scattered tree planting tasks based on the Scattered Tree Planting Development Plan and existing policies on scattered tree planting.

Requesting ministries, sectors, and localities to strictly implement this Directive, focusing on completing their tasks well, contributing to the country's completion of the targets and tasks of the Five Million Hectare Forest Planting Project as set forth in the National Assembly Resolution.