Directive No. 36/2000/CT-BNNPTNT on Measures to Limit and Stop Deforestation for Shifting Cultivation and to Determine Areas for Stable Shifting Cultivation Production Zones

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the zoning of shifting cultivation areas

Since the enactment of the Forest Protection and Development Law in 1991 and the Land Law in 1993, the forestry land fund of each locality has been determined, gradually planned, and formed into protective forests, special-use forests, and production forests. Some localities have developed projects approved by competent state agencies to implement Program 327 (1992) and the New Planting of Five Million Hectares of Forests Project (1998). To implement these programs and projects, localities have developed comprehensive plans for socio-economic development, which include important contents such as protecting existing forest areas and afforestation, greening bare mountains through combined forestry-agricultural practices that are suitable with the natural conditions and economic-social situations of each region.

According to the results of the inspection of forestry land planning and usage by the Working Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and reports from the provinces in the Central Highlands, the Central Coast, and Northern Mountains, the act of deforesting to obtain land for food crops and industrial crops still occurs seriously. The main cause is that during the process of planning agricultural and forestry production in these regions, the provinces have not truly paid attention to zoning stable shifting cultivation areas for ethnic groups who still follow shifting cultivation practices.

To limit and eventually eliminate the situation of deforestation for shifting cultivation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the Directors of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development to take the lead, coordinate with the Chiefs of Forestry Inspection Bureaus of provinces and centrally-administered cities (hereinafter referred to as provinces) to immediately implement the following urgent measures:

1- Advise the People's Committee of the province to review the forestry land fund and the current area of shifting cultivation land, on this basis determine the area of land for zoning stable shifting cultivation areas for each household living in the region to enable the ethnic groups to produce food locally; review the situation of shifting cultivation, nomadic settlement, and free migration, to guide the ethnic groups towards settled farming and settlement, familiarize them with commercial production, create conditions for the ethnic groups to have a stable life and learn intensive cultivation methods on shifting cultivation lands. In regions with shifting cultivation practices, it is necessary to develop plans for fixed shifting cultivation areas with land areas from 1 to 2 hectares for each household. Areas designated for shifting cultivation must have clear boundaries and be marked, while not changing the approved forestry planning.

2- For regions with conditions for large livestock breeding or planting industrial crops, plans should be developed for grazing pastures and directions for developing livestock breeding and industrial crop planting in specific regions. Provide technical assistance, seedlings, and livestock breeds... to eliminate monoculture and produce high-value commercial products.

3- In regions where terraced fields can be created from shifting cultivation land, guide the ethnic groups to transform the land into terraced fields for intensive multiple cropping. Eliminate the practice of encroachment and shifting cultivation causing disputes over forests and forestry land between villages within a commune or between communes.

4- In regions where land allocation and forest assignment for protection and development have not yet been carried out, when implementing land allocation and forest assignment, simultaneously carry out zoning of shifting cultivation areas or pastures for households to avoid changes in the planning for forestry production development.

5- To effectively implement zoning of shifting cultivation areas and pastures, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall proactively develop plans and detailed schemes for each year and district, submit them to the People's Committee of the province for approval.

Regarding funding, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall prepare budgets according to the annual local government budget plan.

6- Strictly prohibit zoning of shifting cultivation areas and pastures in natural forests and planted forests, especially in special-use forests, highly vulnerable and vulnerable protective forests, zoning of shifting cultivation areas is only allowed in vacant lands. Policies should be implemented to encourage and support people to use shifting cultivation areas stably and long-term, avoiding expansion of areas.

7- The Forestry Inspection Bureau shall take the lead, coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to supervise, inspect, and audit the zoning of shifting cultivation areas and pastures in localities.

8- Agricultural and Forestry Extension Centers in localities shall guide people in regions with approved zoning projects for shifting cultivation areas on sustainable cultivation techniques on sloping land to ensure stable and long-term use of shifting cultivation areas.

The Directors of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chiefs of Forestry Inspection Bureaus of provinces are responsible for implementing this directive and regularly report to the People's Committee of the province and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development every quarter and annually.

The Forestry Inspection General Department is responsible for compiling the implementation status of this directive and regularly reporting to the leadership of the Ministry every six months and annually.

This directive shall take effect fifteen days from the date of signature.

Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the People's Committee of the province and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and resolution./.