Decision No. 10/2002/QD-TTg dated January 14, 2002 of the Prime Minister approving the results of the program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 1996-2000 period and the continued implementation of the program in the 2001-2005 period

DECISION

APPROVING THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM ON SURVEY, ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF CHANGES IN FOREST RESOURCES NATIONWIDE IN THE 1996-2000 PERIOD AND THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM IN THE 2001-2005 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the September 30, 1992 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the August 12. 1991 Law on Forest Protection and Development;

Pursuant to Decision No. 245/1998/QD-TTg of December 21, 1998;

Pursuant to Decision No. 446/TTg of June 21, 1997;

At the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Report No. 3027/BNN-KH of October 12, 2001), considering the opinions of the Ministries of: Planning and Investment (Official Dispatch No. 7866/BKH-NN of November 19, 2001); Finance (Official Dispatch No. 12274-TC-HCSN of December 20, 2001); and Science, Technology and Environment (Official Dispatch No. 3226/BKHCNMT-NN of November 8, 2001),

DECIDES:

Article 1.-To approve the results of the Program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 1996-2000 period with the following contents:

1. Forest area:

By December 31, 2000 there had been 11,314,626 ha of forests of all types in the whole country, with a corresponding coverage of 34.4%, of which:

- 9,675,700 ha were natural forests, accounting for 85.5% of the whole country’s forest area.

- 1,638,926 ha were planted forests, accounting for 14.5% of the whole country’s forest area.

2. Forest reserve:

The total timber reserve was 782.0 million m3 in the whole country, of which:

- Natural forests had 751.5 million m3, accounting for 96.1%

- Planted forests had 30.5 million m3, accounting for 6.9%

The total bamboo reserve in the whole country was 5.3 billion trees.

Article 2.-To continue implementing the Program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 2001-2005 period to meet the requirements of the following tasks:

1. Assessment of forest resources:

a/ Compiling a collection of data on forest resources for the entire cycle (2001-2005).

- Annual collections of data on forest natural resources.

- Annual maps of the forest situations, with different sizes and scales in the database, to be printed out in 2004:

+ A national map with a scale of 1/1,000,000

+ Regional maps with a scale of 1/250,000

+ Provincial maps with a scale of 1/100,000

b/ Surveying forest reserves and other features:

- Complementing and perfecting the system of survey squares, proceeding from the system of primary squares with a total of 4,200 squares, including 3,621 squares belonging to cycle II to be re-surveyed and 579 supplemented squares of the newly-planted forest areas.

- From the system of primary squares and the types of forest all over the country, to select and establish 100 ecological research locations for monitoring and studying the basic forest features.

c/ Surveying and making topical reports:

- Studying the changes in the structure of natural forests of a number of forest states.

- Studying the sylvicultural characteristics of restored forests in six regions and making a general report thereon for the whole country.

- Surveying the situation of the regeneration and restoration of natural forests on waste land and bare hills in six regions and making a general report thereon for the whole country.

- Surveying and assessing forest fauna in eight regions and making a general report on forest fauna in the whole country.

- Surveying and assessing forest insects and pests in six regions and making a general report thereon for the whole country.

- Surveying and assessing non-timber forest products in six regions and making a general report for the whole country.

- Formulating growth targets for a number of natural forest states.

2. Analyzing and assessing changes in resources:

- Surveying and assessing changes in forest resources in six regions.

- Making a general report on the assessment of changes in forest natural resources nationwide.

3. Perfecting the system of constant monitoring of forest natural resources.

- Making a supplementary design for the system of location squares for monitoring changes in new forest areas so as to increase ecological research location squares (on forests of new types or with inadequate samples) for a long-term monitoring of changes in forest quality and other features of the forest eco-system.

- Perfecting the database on forest resources, to be connected with units and agencies via the computerized network, containing the following major information:

+ Data systems of location squares for monitoring changes and studying the forest ecology

+ Annual data and maps of the present situation of forests.

+ Results of research into and assessment of forest resources.

+ Information on the socio-economic situation and other relevant information, etc.

- The program’s website.

4. Research into, application and perfection of the following methods:

- Research into and application of interpretation of digital photos in forest mapping.

- Formulating eco-technical targets and norms of the program.

- Elaborating technical guidelines on the contents and tasks of the program.

5. Making a general report on the program’s results:

- Annual collections of data on the forest situation.

- Report on the results of the whole program in 2005.

Article 3.-To assign the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development being the program-managing body the following responsibilities:

1. To assume the prime responsibility together with the concerned ministries and branches in evaluating and deciding on the concrete contents of the program, approve the outlines and estimated budgets of the Program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 2001-2005 period.

2. To direct the agencies of the Ministry (the Forest Planning and Survey Institute and the Forest Ranger Department) to organize the program implementation, to certify the annual results of the program implementation on the basis of the Institute’s acceptance report.

3. To organize the acceptance of the program results at the end of the cycle (2005) and submit them to the Prime Minister for approval.

4. To direct the supervision of the observance of the regulations on the annual and whole-cycle final settlements of economic non-business capital under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, and of the labor norms under the guidance of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

5. Formulating the outlines and estimated budgets of the Program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 2006-2010 period after the termination of the third cycle of the program.

6. To direct the synthesization and systemization of materials and data of all results of the Program on survey, assessment and monitoring of changes in forest resources nationwide in the 1996-2000 period and the 2001-2005 period into a basic dossier to be supplied to the ministries, branches and localities and to meet the requirements of the Government in preparing long-term socio-economic development plans, and at the same time to serve as basis for formulating forestry development policies in service of the general development requirements of the country in different periods.

Article 4.-The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall, depending on their respective functions, balance and ensure funding for the implementation of the program according to the prescribed schedule and regimes, ensuring the effective implementation of the program.

Article 5.-This Decision takes implementation effect 15 days after its signing. The Ministers of: Agriculture and Rural Development; Finance, and Planning and Investment, and the heads of the concerned units shall have to implement this Decision.