202507/31
In view of the fact that several typhoons such as Typhoon Kong-rey hit Taiwan in 2024, causing a large amount of driftwood to accumulate on the coast of Hualien, and to accelerate the cleanup of driftwood and increase public demand for collection, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA), Ministry of Agriculture, convened an inter-ministerial meeting to comprehensively review the “Guidelines for Handling Driftwood Caused by Natural Disasters” (hereinafter referred to as “the Guidelines”). The revised regulations were finalized and published on July 29, 2025. In addition to continuing the basic spirit of “Permitted in Principle Outside Extraordinary Circumstances,” this amendment further clarifies the conditions for the open collection of driftwood, expands the scope of wood that can be collected, and the method of transportation. It also allows the cutting and transportation of the driftwood during the open collection process to help the public deal with the practical needs of cutting logs and branches. The FANCA reminds the public to carefully review the announcements issued by local county (city) governments before collecting driftwood and comply with relevant precautions or prohibitions to ensure safe and legal collection.
Regarding the key revisions to the Guidelines, the FANCA provided the following explanation:
I. Optimized the collection period mechanism to ensure both safety and flexibility
The new regulations clearly stipulate that from the designated start date announced by each county and city until the Central Weather Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications issues the “next land typhoon warning,” the public can freely pick up driftwood within the announced area. During the announced open collection period, if a heavy rain warning is issued and there are concerns about the safety of the public collecting driftwood, the local county (city) government is authorized to urgently terminate the open collection, taking into account post-disaster response needs and climate risk management.
II. Relaxed driftwood collection regulations and permitted the use of light vehicles for transportation for better convenience
Following the revision, the public can freely pick up driftwood that has been determined by local authorities to have “no auction value.” The previous restrictions on the size of log scraps (length of two meters and diameter less than 20 centimeters for a single piece) and weight (inconvenient to measure and weighing less than 50 kilograms for a single piece) have been lifted. The revised regulations still maintain the prohibition on using machinery to directly enter wild streams or rivers to transport driftwood. However, in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Water Act, members of the public are allowed to use light private vehicles to carry driftwood within river areas, provided that they travel on designated roads, such as existing flood control roads, temporary bridges, or embankment roads, taking into account convenience and river safety.
III. Permitted free cutting for improved cleaning efficiency
Considering the different sizes of driftwood piled at the sites, there are often cases where individual pieces exceed two meters in length or 50 kilograms in weight, making them ineligible for public collection. After review and revision by the FANCA, the public is now allowed to use tools such as chainsaws to cut driftwood during the open collection and clean up process to facilitate handling and transportation. This not only prevents large pieces of wood from being left behind, which could pose safety or environmental risks, but also accelerates the cleanup of driftwood at the site.
The FANCA noted that the revisions to the Guidelines were made after a comprehensive review of the challenges encountered during practical implementation. The aim is to streamline procedures, encourage public participation, and enhance post-disaster driftwood cleanup efficiency while balancing the principles of state property management with public needs. This approach seeks to establish a highly efficient, resilient post-disaster response model through public-private collaboration.
The FANCA reminds the public that
the sites where driftwood can be openly collected are limited to rivers, estuaries, or coastal (beach) areas outside of national forest areas. As for driftwood (bamboo) from streams and rivers in national forest areas, it is clearly classified as national property under the Forestry Act and is not permitted for open collection. The public is urged not to collect such driftwood to avoid breaking the law.