Implemented for over a decade, the "Program of Awards and Assistance on Reforestation ", where the government encourages forest owners to plant trees by paying out NT$600,000 per hectare for 20 years, will be undergoing major changes. The Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture announced today (April 15) the launch of a new "Forestry Sustainable Multi-Guidance Program" based on the Program of Awards and Assistance on Reforestation, but the guidance incentive will be diverted according to different goals, while subsidies for thinning of production plantations will be added to improve the timber quality of the forests. Subsidies for production equipment and various certification will also be added to guide the forest owners towards integration and adjust the industry towards an environmentally-friendly structure. The management objectives of the guidance incentive have also broken free from uni-directional thinking. In addition to forest production, forest recreation and therapy, as well as under-forest economy. The time duration of the guidance incentive will also be based on the management plan, and will not be limited to 20 years. For forest plantations that are in environmentally-sensitive areas with logging restrictions, if they are not suitable for the development of forest recreation or under-forest economy, environmental subsidies will be provided. Taiwan has abundant forest resources, the forest plantations planted under the incentive award program in the past are already available for utilization. However, under the current conditions, it is difficult for the forest owners to maintain their livelihood through forest management. The Forestry Bureau said that the past Nationwide Reforestation Program and Program of Awards and Assistance on Reforestation only provided forest owners with seedlings, subsidy, and planting techniques. However, forest owners lacked skills and industrial connections when it came to the management of the plantations, which made it difficult for them to obtain income from plantations. In order to solve the plight of forest owners and properly implement forest land use, the Forestry Bureau added various management and guidance related operations and guidelines for public and private forests, in conjunction with the relevant subsidies and financing measures of the Council of Agriculture in 2017, in the hopes that these measures will help plantations towards sustainable development and increase Taiwan's timber self-sufficiency rate. Lin Hwa-ching, director of the Forestry Bureau, said that since the announcement of the "Year of Domestically Produced Timber" in 2017, the Forestry Bureau has assisted in the integration of 14 groups including forestry cooperatives with a total operating area of 1,400 hectares. In addition, regulations have been simplified and loosened to reduce the waiting time and administrative costs of forest owners applying for felling and harvesting. At the same time, attention has been turned to marketing, in order to enhance the image and consumption of domestic timber. After two years of hard work, the production volume of the various cooperatives has increased by 30% to 40%, the turnover has increased by 15% to 20%, and all have recruited personnel from the younger generation. The Forestry Bureau said that the "Forestry Sustainable Multi-Guidance Program" will further focus on forest land over 30 hectares or identified by local governments to hold special features. They will work together with local governments to actively guide forest owners, establish partnerships, and continue to integrate forest land to expand the management scale. Professional teams and forestry technicians will be brought in to assist in the formulation of the forest management plan, and guide the forestry production cooperatives to divert management according to different objectives for sustainable operations. The Forestry Bureau will also set up a dedicated service window for forest owners to assist forest owners to integrate relevant applications, as well as develop a diverse range of forestry industries, such as the full utilization of wood and bamboo materials, developing a suitable under-forest economy, forest therapy, tourism and recreation, and non-timber related industries through environmentally-friendly methods, to fully realize the diverse service values of the forest ecosystem. The Forestry Bureau stressed that the current forestry development blueprint attaches great importance to environmental sustainability and community relations, and will definitely implement plantation zoning and diversion guidance. The Forestry Bureau invites forest owners and aspiring youth to participate in the forestry sustainable multi-guidance program to share the benefits of the forest ecosystem and together create the future of sustainable forestry in Taiwan.
Home
Taiwan High Speed Rail