The Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture announced the Directions for Compensating Limited Logging of Productive Private Forest (Limited Logging Directions) today (21st). In the future, the government will compensate forest owners with NT$20,000 per hectare for private forest land and leased afforestation land that is subject to limited logging due to environmental sensitivity areas and buffer strips for protected flora and fauna, so as to balance the needs for forest production and the protection of the ecosystem. According to the Forestry Bureau, to revitalize domestic timber and strengthen guidance on public and private forest management, the Bureau has been promoting the Forestry Sustainable Multi-Guidance Incentive Programs since 2019 and has included private forests (including leased afforestation land) as priority targets for sustainable production guidance. The Forestry Bureau hopes to integrate more than 30 hectares of forest land and bring in teams of experts and technicians to assist in the preparation of a forest management plan, provide guidance on environmentally-friendly logging practices, as well as promote sustainable forest management and economic development in mountain villages. In order to encourage private forest owners and afforestation land leaseholders to adopt environmentally-friendly logging practices while actively managing their forests, the Forestry Bureau developed Directions for Compensating Limited Logging of Productive Private Forest in March of this year (2020), which was approved by the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan in May of the same year. The core concept of the proposal is based on the spirit of the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) accredited Forest Management certification. Through the compensation payout measure, forest owners are encouraged to avoid excessive disturbance to environmentally sensitive areas or protected habitats of wildlife and plants, such as those adjacent to riverbanks, when applying for logging in the forests under their management. An appropriate amount of forest cover should be maintained which takes into account the supply of timber materials and a sustainable ecosystem. According to the Forestry Bureau, in order to achieve the vision of sustainable forestry, the most important feature of the Limited Logging Directions is to encourage forest owners to apply for harvesting of the forests. Through the compensation measure for limited logging, forest owners are guided to understand that excessive disturbance of sensitive areas within the operation area, such as riverbanks or protected wildlife habitats, should be avoided. Furthermore, in the spirit of fairness and justice, the government should provide reasonable compensation to forest owners whose vested interests are affected as a result of the restrictions on forest cutting and harvesting due to the law. The target applicants, scope of compensation, application period, procedure and compensation amount of the Limited Logging Directions are explained below. I. Target applicants: Owners or legal users of private forest land, national or public leased afforestation land, and afforestation land under the forest management plan that are subject to restrictions on cutting and harvesting in accordance with the Regulations Governing Inspection of Cutting and Harvesting of Forest Products. II. Scope of compensation: Environmentally sensitive buffer strips (road buffer strips, river buffer strips, firebreak vegetation buffer strips), buffer strips for protected plants and animals, and other areas in need of preservation as identified by the competent authorities. III. Application period, procedure, and compensation amount: From January 2nd to March 31st of each year, those with a cutting, harvesting, and transporting (retrieval) permit, a map of the cutting and harvesting area, and document proof for the legal use of the land, can submit an application to the relevant authority. Compensation for restricted cutting and harvesting of NT$20,000 per hectare will be paid after the review and approval by the competent authority. The Forestry Bureau emphasized that forests are renewable natural resources, and the main purpose of the Limited Logging Directions is to provide substantive guidance to forest owners to avoid excessive disturbance of environmentally-sensitive areas, taking into account landowners’ rights of use and the implementation of environmental justice. With the government and forest owners working together to protect areas with sensitive environments, special landscapes, or ecological values where humans are engaged in production activities, we can continue to preserve the sustainable cycle and diversity of the forest production environment, provide diversified services and benefits to the people, and enable the co-existence and co-prosperity of all living things.
Home
Taiwan High Speed Rail