CEBU CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has said that a permit is needed to cut trees even within private lands.
This is in line with Executive Order No. 23 or the moratorium on the tree cutting throughout the country, according to DENR Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo Montejo. “We are preserving a good balance of forest for perpetuity by shifting timber harvesting in tree plantations only,” said Montejo.
In a memorandum dated February 13 signed by Montejo, provincial and community environment and natural resources officers in the region were instructed to implement the order requiring a “permit to cut.”
He said the requirements for the issuance of the permit are a request letter (to cut trees) from the DENR, local government clearance, inventory of trees requested to be cut with global positioning system (GPS) reading per tree, stand stock table, copy of land title or tax declaration, geo-tagged pictures, sketch plan, and tree chart.
“We will not issue a clearance unless these requirements are complied with and attached to the application for a permit to cut,” Montejo said.
Natural and residual forests are forests composed of indigenous trees, not planted by man.
Montejo said that under a new regime in forest resource development, the country’s shift to tree plantation development has been given the needed push in recognizing the sustainability of tree plantations as a viable source of timber. (Elvira C. Bongosia)
Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindanaoexaminer
Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindanaoExamine
Read Our News on: http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/ and http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/
Share The News
20
