202308/14
Today (Aug 14), the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) was officially unveiled. This agency was established by merging the responsibilities of the original Forestry Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Forest Conservation and Management Administration, Veterans Affairs Council (VAC), Executive Yuan. The FANCA will outline a strategy for the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in Taiwan, promote diverse green forest industries, and create a sustainable ecosystem where people and nature coexist, thus paving the way for a new future for forestry and nature conservation.
Director General of the FANCA, Lin Hwa-Ching, expressed that with changes and transformations in forestry policies, the Forestry Bureau transformed from an early subsidiary of the Taiwan Provincial Government’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry into a government agency, subsequently becoming the central competent authority responsible for the nation’s forestry and nature conservation. However, with the downturn of Taiwan’s forestry industry, global biodiversity loss, and serious challenges posed by climate change, cooperating with the organizational reform of the Executive Yuan, the Forestry Bureau was changed to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA). The new agency has taken on the responsibilities of the Forest Conservation and Management Administration, VAC, and has been entrusted with greater planning responsibilities in both policy and implementation. For the new agency name, we chose “Forestry” instead of just “Forest” because we are committed to promoting location-based, green forest-related industries supported by Taiwan’s diverse forest ecosystems. “Nature Conservation” highlights the importance of nurturing terrestrial ecosystems, including forests and biodiversity resources, as the cornerstone for industrial development. This ensures that the people of Taiwan can enjoy the benefits of ecosystem services in a sustainable way.
Director General Lin Hwa-Ching stated that the FANCA’s vision is achieving “Sustainable Forestry, Ecological Taiwan,” which served as inspiration for the new emblem. Its design expresses the harmony between human beings and nature, the sustainability of natural resources, and the balance and win-win situation between development and conservation. The center of the emblem represents people, trees, and forestry. The blue and green rings above and below represent water and forests, respectively. The entire emblem symbolizes coexistence, mutual benefit, and mutual prosperity of people and forestry, all based on sustainability and biodiversity. The central pattern in the emblem also hails back to the previous emblem of the Forestry Bureau, symbolizing heritage.
In recent years, the Forestry Bureau had already begun preparations for its restructuring, with a commitment to improving domestic timber’s self-sufficiency rate, integrating forest management with the rights of local indigenous peoples, implementing forest co-management, revitalizing green economies in mountain villages, and setting up the Taiwan Ecological Network (TEN). The initial results of these efforts have already received the public’s approval. After today’s unveiling ceremony, the FANCA will gradually expand its service capacity and adjust its organizational structure. The new agency will extend its services beyond national forests, strengthen species, habitat, and landscape conservation, create more forests and natural carbon sinks, and promote diversified forestry industries with sustainability.
Lin Hwa-Ching stated that in the next six months the FANCA will announce several important new policies and achievements. These include the development of a policy white paper outlining the plan for forestry development and nature conservation for the next decade, and promoting the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification in all national forest working circles. Additionally, to enhance forest and natural carbon sinks, the FANCA will introduce the “Enterprise Participation in Forest and Natural Carbon Sinks ESG Project Matching Platform,” hoping to create a scenario that benefits businesses, forest owners, and carbon reduction efforts. In terms of nature conservation, there will be increased focus on wild flora, with resources prioritized for endangered and threatened Rare and Valuable Species. Conservation strategies and action plans will be developed for these threatened wild flora species. The monitoring of wild mammals will extend beyond national forests to include low-elevation mountains, hills, plains, and coastal regions, allowing for precise tracking of the distribution and population trends of medium and large-sized wild animals throughout Taiwan. Annual trend reports will be released to provide the latest updates on these trends.
The FANCA also explained that to achieve a 5% self-sufficiency rate for domestic timber by 2028, timber and bamboo will remain critical components of the current diversified forestry industry. However, the FANCA will also actively promote the development of non-timber forest industries that can complement these efforts to increase income for forest owners. Especially when facing the challenge of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, fast-growing bamboo will become a crucial strategic resource. Taiwan possesses rich bamboo forest resources, covering an area of 183,000 hectares. The FANCA also mentioned that they will integrate resources from various government departments and promote cooperation with private sectors to reestablish an emerging bamboo industry chain that covers production, processing, R&D, and marketing and sales. For the development of other non-timber forest industries, the FANCA will prioritize guiding forest owners in utilizing leftover materials, such as branches and leaves from tree nurturing or harvesting, to extract essential oils or hydrosols, which can be transformed into high-value essential oils and fragrance products. The remaining materials can be repurposed for mushroom cultivation, biomass pellets, or returned to the forest as nutrients. The agency will also continue to keep track of new under-forest economy products with local or ethnic characteristics, establish a brand and verification system for non-timber forest products, and generate income for the green forest industry.
Lin Hwa-Ching pointed out that the restructuring of the Forestry Bureau into the FANCA holds significance beyond today’s unveiling ceremony. It is both a responsibility and an obligation to respond to international trends and the expectations of the people with forward-thinking policies and to expand the capacity of government services. In the future, the FANCA will be committed to enriching Taiwan’s forest capital, utilizing its dividends wisely, and sharing its benefits sustainably, fairly, and equitably with all the people of this land, realizing the vision of “Sustainable Forestry, Ecological Taiwan.”