Government drafts omnibus forestry policy

The Arroyo administration is finally responding to the calls of the wood and furniture industry to address the log ban issue.

During yesterday’s Philippine Forestry Development Forum, Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita announced that the government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is drafting an omnibus forestry policy aimed at compiling existing forestry policies and eventually producing a relevant single enhanced policy.

The pertinent points of the planned policies, Ermita said, would include a forest boundary delineation; identification of production and protection forests; identification of areas for industrial tree plantations and provision of a positive investment climate.

Ermita explained that undertaking a forest boundary delineation is important because incomplete demarcation of the forest line creates difficulties in performing land titling, land use planning and forest land protection.

Ermita confirmed that delineation and demarcation of forest boundary line covering an estimated 76,291 kilometers are already being planned to be carried out in the next two years.

The identification of production and protection forests, Ermita further explained, is part of managing the forest in a sustainable manner.

Likewise, the identification of areas for industrial tree plantation is also a must, Ermita said, to meet future wood demand.

The DENR had identified 684,000 hectares in the Caraga Region for development into timber corridors.

Lastly, Ermita said, the government is studying a package of incentives to encourage private investments in endeavors like industrial tree plantations.

However, according to the wood industry, there are already enough incentives available.

Instead, what the industry needs is a stable policy environment, security of tenure and government realizing the potential contribution of the wood industry to the economy.

DENR Secretary Michael Defensor, for his part, announced during the same forum that a Timber Coordinating Council and Board would be formed comprising key stakeholders of the forestry sector.

The Timber Coordinating Council and Board would help develop a program to optimally use and develop the country’s wood resources.

The Philippine Wood producers Association (PWPA), which represents the legitimate wood-based and wood-producing industries, has been appealing to President Arroyo to order the DENR to lift the temporary suspension of logging activities in areas not affected by the calamities of December 2004.

The PWPA lamented that legitimate logging operations have been unfairly and adversely affected by the suspension.

The indefinite suspension could lead to a loss of about P21 billion annually from the export of high value-added finished wood products.