Nghe An: Inspecting and addressing existing issues in timber raw material area planning.

Assigned the task by the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has directed the development and completion of a detailed plan for a comprehensive inspection of the implementation of timber raw material area plans.

Important task

With the aim of restructuring the forestry sector towards increasing added value and sustainable economic , social, and environmental development, on July 22, 2016, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 3543/QD-UBND approving the plan for the development of raw material forests in Nghe An province for the period 2016-2025, with a vision to 2030. At this time, the entire province had 12 companies assigned to develop raw material plantation forests with a total area of ​​208,449.91 hectares (of which 70,294.1 hectares were planned for land lease and 138,155.81 hectares for joint ventures and partnerships).

The mountainous districts of Nghe An province have large areas of forest land, suitable for developing timber raw material regions. The photo shows a forest area in Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district. Photo: Vo Hai.

However, looking back after two years, the implementation of the plan by investors has not met expectations. This information was detailed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) in its report "Situation of planning management and policies of enterprises developing planned raw material areas in Nghe An province" dated December 28, 2018.

Accordingly, by the end of 2018, the province had 13 raw material development plans with a total area of ​​226,903.25 hectares; the total area of ​​land for which land lease procedures were completed was 9,207.0 hectares out of 73,147.16 hectares, reaching only 12.58% of the planned leased land area. Regarding joint ventures and partnerships, companies have not yet implemented investment policies to develop raw material areas according to the plan.

During the planning implementation process, investors have not shown sufficient interest in investing in seeds, materials, and technology to develop the raw material area as committed when the plan was established; they mainly focus on leasing land and organizing forest planting on the leased land; and there are no specific policies to support joint ventures and linkages with forest planters in the planned area. Investors have not boldly invested in deep processing technologies to increase the added value of the raw wood production chain, only using lines for rough processing (wood chips) or intermediate products (MDF, laminated wood...).

Acacia plantations in a mountainous district of Nghe An province. Photo: Nguyen Dao

On August 24, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 895/QD-TTg approving the "National Forestry Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050". To date, the area of ​​land allocated to investors in the province for timber raw material production has decreased from 226,903.25 hectares to 176,614.47 hectares. However, the quality of planning implementation by investors has remained fundamentally unchanged.

According to the assessment of the former Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Document No. 3626/SNN-KHTC dated August 30, 2024, "Many planning and projects for the development of timber and non-timber forest products by investors have not been fully implemented according to the approved decisions."

Therefore, in Document No. 3626/SNN-KHTC dated August 30, 2024, the former Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed to the People's Committee of Nghe An province the task of: "Reviewing and evaluating the implementation of timber and non-timber forest product raw material area plans by investors in Nghe An province; proposing solutions for handling in accordance with the law."

In practice, the allocation of land for forestry purposes and leasing it to investors has proven ineffective, and in some cases, has even led to disputes with local residents. The photo shows a forestry area in Chau Hoi commune, a region where land disputes have occurred for many years. Photo: Vo Hai

The proposal from the former Department of Agriculture and Rural Development aimed at the following objectives: “To effectively exploit the potential of forests and forest land in the province”; “To ensure that plans, projects, and programs in the locality are consistent and synchronized with the national forestry plan and the provincial plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050”. Therefore, it was approved by the Provincial People's Committee and directed for implementation in Notice No. 840/TB-UBND dated November 4, 2024.

Proposals from the districts

In fact, it wasn't just the former Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that recognized the poor quality of implementation of timber raw material area planning; this was also acknowledged by the Party committees and authorities of most districts with timber raw material area plans. They did not highly rate the investors' performance in implementing the plans as committed to the province when assigned the planning; in fact, some districts viewed timber raw material area plans as a "bottleneck" or "barrier" to socio-economic development, leading to a waste of land resources.

For example, in Que Phong district, Vietnam Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company; Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company; Nano Interior and Architecture Joint Stock Company; and MDDF Nghe An Joint Stock Company were planned to have raw material areas totaling 10,670.76 hectares. However, the 2023 review by the Nghe An Forestry Planning Survey Team showed that all these projects had not been implemented as committed.

Acacia wood raw materials are abundant; however, most of it is being transported to other provinces for consumption. The photo shows a truck carrying wood chips traveling on National Highway 48D to Nghi Son port, Thanh Hoa province. Photo: Nguyen Dao

When consulted by the Nghe An Forestry Planning Survey Team, the People's Committee of Que Phong District proposed: "Companies whose raw material areas in the district have been approved by the Provincial People's Committee (for feasible projects) should proceed with procedures for land and forest leases or sign joint venture/cooperation contracts with land and forest owners, and carry out sustainable forest certification (FSC) work, so that forest owners can develop their planted timber raw material areas effectively. For projects that are not feasible, it is recommended to review and cancel the planning, handing over the land and forests to the local authorities for management and protection to avoid the situation of suspended planning and land waste."

Also, according to the proposal of the People's Committee of Que Phong district: "Consider canceling the planning for the raw material area serving the reforestation project for Vietnam Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company for the following reasons: Exceeding the time limit allowed by the Provincial People's Committee (24 months) as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 2 of Decision No. 1748/QD-UBND dated May 17, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee on approving the adjustment and detailed planning of the raw material area serving the reforestation project for Vietnam Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company; the current planned area largely consists of natural forest unsuitable for planting raw material forests; voters and people in Chau Thon and Quang Phong communes do not agree to its implementation."

Trucks carrying acacia wood cross into Thanh Hoa province on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Photo: Nhat Lan

For example, in Quy Hop district, there are two timber raw material area plans belonging to Vietnam Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company and Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company, with a total area of ​​over 20,000 hectares. However, for many years, neither company has implemented the plan. Therefore, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district has proposed: "For projects that are not feasible, we request a review and cancellation of the plan, handing it back to the local authorities for management and protection of the land and forests to avoid the situation of stalled plans and wasted land..."

In Con Cuong district, there are four companies: Biomass Fuel Vietnam Co., Ltd.; Tuan Loc Forestry Co., Ltd.; Vietnam Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company; and Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company, which have been assigned to plan a raw material forest planting project with a total area of ​​over 11,900 hectares.

In its April 2025 report, the People's Committee of Con Cuong District proposed: "The planning for planting raw material forests in the district over the past periods has become unsuitable, leading to overlaps when investors come to implement projects. We request the Provincial People's Committee and relevant provincial departments and agencies to review and adjust the plans to ensure they are consistent with the current forestry planning…".

Moving towards a comprehensive, all-encompassing inspection.

In order to ensure objectivity and accuracy in reviewing and evaluating the implementation of timber raw material area plans by investors, the Department of Agriculture and Environment assigned the Nghe An Forestry Planning Survey Team to develop a detailed inspection plan outline.

There are many areas containing wood chips at Nghi Son Port (Thanh Hoa). Photo: Nguyen Dao

Reviewing the approved detailed inspection plan outline, it is clear that this is a comprehensive and thorough inspection of timber raw material area plans. The assigned unit (the Nghe An Forestry Planning Survey Team) will implement professional measures to inspect, review, and evaluate the results of implementing timber and non-timber forest product raw material area plans by investors in the province.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment requested the Nghe An Forestry Planning Survey Team to accurately assess the investment results of investors in the planned area through inspection and review; the land leasing, joint ventures and partnerships with forest owners and individual households to serve the development of timber raw material areas; and the investment results in the construction of processing facilities and infrastructure, etc., according to the decisions approved by the Provincial People's Committee for investment in raw material areas for investors.

The Nghe An Newspaper has reported on the limitations in the forestry sector through a series of articles titled "The 'Hidden' Issues Behind Unlicensed Wood Chip Factories." Photo: Nhat Lan

At the same time, review and assess the difficulties, obstacles, and bottlenecks in the implementation of plans for timber and non-timber forest product raw material areas; review and assess the entire current status of forests and forest land approved by the Provincial People's Committee in the plans and development plans for planted forest raw material areas, with an area of ​​over 195,000 hectares throughout the province…

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Nguyen Danh Hung, stated: “The Department has been assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to investigate, review, and assess the implementation of timber and non-timber forest product raw material area plans by investors in Nghe An province; and to propose solutions in accordance with the law. To fulfill this task before the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will direct the Nghe An Forestry Planning Investigation Team to strictly carry out inspection and review work to produce a truly objective and accurate report; as a basis for proposing legally sound solutions that promote the development of the province's forestry economy…”

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/nghe-an-kiem-tra-xu-ly-ton-tai-o-cac-quy-hoach-vung-nguyen-lieu-go-10297362.html