Directive No. 86/2006/CT-BNN on managing the change of purpose for forest land use

DIRECTIVE

On managing the change of forest land use purposes

Implementing Directive No. 38/2005/CT-TTg dated December 5, 2005 of the Prime Minister on reviewing and re-planning three types of forests: protective forests, special-use forests, and production forests (hereinafter referred to as Directive No. 38-TTg), localities are urgently reviewing and re-planning these three types of forests, and have now basically completed the fieldwork phase and are currently compiling the results.

During the process of reviewing and re-planning the three types of forests, some localities have already implemented changes in the purpose of using natural protective forests and planted protective forests funded by the State budget under Decision No. 327-CT dated September 15, 1992 of the Council of Ministers, now the Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as Program 327) and the New Forest Planting Program of 5 million hectares, on areas that were reviewed and planned to be production forests without approval from the competent authority.

To rectify the work of changing the purpose of forest land use and effectively implement the task of reviewing and re-planning the three types of forests as directed by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests:

1. Directors of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chiefs of Forestry Inspection Bureaus of provinces and centrally-administered cities direct and implement the following tasks:

- Coordinate with the natural resources and environment sector to organize inspections and report to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to immediately halt cases where forest land is changed to non-forestry purposes, including natural protective forests and planted protective forests funded by the State budget under Program 327 and the New Forest Planting Program of 5 million hectares, but which upon review are planned to be production forests or other purposes.

- In cases where planted forests funded by Program 327 or the New Forest Planting Program of 5 million hectares mentioned above have been approved by the competent authority for re-planning as production forests or other purposes, they must also be managed and protected in their original state before a decision to change them is made, in accordance with the guidance of competent authorities as stipulated by laws on forest protection and development and laws on land.

By September 2006, complete the review and re-planning of the three types of forests, clearly define reasonable scale and area, ensuring compliance with objectives, types, and categories of forests according to criteria for protective forests and special-use forests as specified in Decision No. 61/2005/QĐ-BNN dated October 12, 2005 and Decision No. 62/2005/QĐ-BNN dated October 12, 2005 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. The Forestry Department shall take the lead in coordinating with the Forest Protection Department and the Institute of Forest Inventory and Planning to organize inspection teams to check the change of forest land use purposes in localities and urge the completion of the review and re-planning of the three types of forests according to Directive No. 38-TTg, compile and report to the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development before October 15, 2006 to submit to the Prime Minister.

Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Forestry Inspection Bureaus of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and related units strictly implement this directive./.