Ensuring progress of payment for forest environmental services

Staff of Thuan Chau - Quynh Nhai Forest Protection and Development Fund Branch guide the Management Board of Bien village, Nam Lau commune, to check the forest area.

Thuan Chau - Quynh Nhai Forest Protection and Development Fund Branch has assigned staff in charge of the area to coordinate with the base to propagate the policy of payment for forest environmental services (FES). At the same time, grasp accurate information about forest owners; request the consulting unit to provide original map data, determine the forest area eligible for FES payment; review and update points with changes in forest status into the forest development and forest environmental service map to be deployed on schedule.

The branch strengthens coordination with communes, village management boards and forest owners to check the points of change provided by the consulting unit to develop the MTR service map. Coordinate with the consulting unit, update the forest status after the results of the field inspection, promptly adjust, update additional information of forest owners, update the forest status according to the planning map of 3 types of forests on the MTR service payment map. Continue to guide the village communities, develop regulations on management and use of forest environmental service fees according to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee. Timely resolve the requests of forest owners who need to change information, such as: Transfer of inheritance rights, update of citizen identification information; propagate to forest owners about forest management, protection and forest environmental service payment policies in the area.

The internal roads in Nam Lau commune, Thuan Chau district, are concreted from the MTR service payment source.

Mr. Do Quoc Hung, Head of Thuan Chau - Quynh Nhai Forest Protection and Development Fund Branch, said: Based on the data of the Technical Inspection and Supervision Department, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund and the consulting unit, the Branch has applied QGIS software, which is an advanced software in the field of geographic information systems, providing the ability to effectively manage and analyze spatial data, helping to update and query the database accurately on the map. Up to now, the unit has completed the construction of a map to serve the determination of the forest area paid for MTR services. The total forest area providing forest environmental services in 2025 of the district is nearly 45,856 hectares, belonging to 3,154 forest owners; of which, 9,976 hectares belong to 2,629 forest owners who are households and individuals; 2,019 hectares of forest belong to 121 household groups, nearly 29,308 hectares of forest belong to 300 forest owners who are communities; 1,567 hectares of forest belong to 77 forest owners who are socio- political organizations of the village and 2,986 hectares of forest belong to 27 forest owners who are People's Committees of the commune.

Liep Te is a commune in the resettlement area of ​​Son La hydropower plant. Along with the state's policies, on average, each year, the commune receives more than 1 billion VND in MTR services. Mr. Lo Van Thuan, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, informed: From the MTR service fund, the commune directs the villages to invest in forest protection and development; build traffic works, irrigation works, and village cultural houses according to the new rural construction program. Currently, the commune is coordinating with functional agencies to complete the review of 2,366.6 hectares of forest eligible for MTR service payment in 2025.

Bamboo growing model for bamboo shoots in Nam Giat village, Phong Lai commune, Thuan Chau district, from the source of payment for environmental services.

In Nam Lau commune, in recent years, the Party Committee and the commune government have paid attention to, directed and effectively implemented policies on forest protection and development. Mr. Luong Van Sam, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: In 2024, the commune has 4,487 hectares/7,068 hectares of forest paid 918 million VND. Since the beginning of the year, the commune has coordinated with relevant agencies to review and announce the area eligible for payment for environmental services; check payment records and resolve problems related to forest area and ownership rights to make a list of forest owners paying for environmental services.

To ensure the progress of payment for MTR services in 2025, Thuan Chau - Quynh Nhai Forest Protection and Development Fund Branch continues to direct local officials to exchange and propagate the policy of payment for MTR services, grasp information of forest owners with changes at the grassroots level, update the results of monitoring forest developments, integrate into the map, serve the payment of MTR services to ensure accuracy, contributing to improving the effectiveness of forest management and protection.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/xa-hoi/bao-dam-tien-do-chi-tra-dich-vu-moi-truong-rung-rmjLHAJHR.html