Forest agreements in CV, 7 other regions called off

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered the cancellation of all forest agreements in Region VII and in seven other regions as part of the continuing crackdown on erring holders of various forestry agreements.

The cancellation was also ordered in regions I, IV, V, VI, VIII, IX and Caraga by then DENR Secretary Michael Defensor before he stepped down from his post.

The regional directors were given a directive to issue immediately appropriate orders canceling all existing Industrial Forest Management Agreements, Industrial Tree Plantation Lease Agreements, Socialized Industrial Forest Management Agreements, and Community-Based Forest Management Agreements in their respective regions.

A total of 183 community-based forest management agreements had been issued in Region VII. Region X issued the most number of agreements with a total of 297 community-based forest management agreements issued by the DENR.

There were 1,769 issued CBFMAs nationwide covering a total land area of 1.6 million hectares.

CBFMA is a renewable 25-year tenurial agreement issued by DENR to a participating people's organization, representing communities, to enable members to enjoy tenurial security incentives to develop, utilize and manage specific portions of forestlands as forest managers.

IFMA is a production sharing contract entered into by and between DENR and a qualified applicant wherein DENR grants to the latter the exclusive right to develop, manage, protect and utilize a specified area of forestland and forest resource therein for a period of 25 years.

On the other hand, ITPLA is an agreement entered into by then Ministry of Natural Resources and qualified applicants for the establishment of tree crops primarily to supply the raw material requirements of existing or proposed wood processing and energy-generating plants and other related industries.