Private Lands in Sorsogon

PRESS RELEASE                                                             FOR REFERENCE
October 7, 2009                                                                ALFREDO S. ARAYA
                                                                                         Chief, Regional Public Affairs Office
                                                                                         araya_rpao5denr@yahoo.com

Private lands planted with trees in Sorsogon

LEGAZPI CITY - At least 302 hectares within private lands in Sorsogon are planted with trees, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.

Some trees were planted as early as 1940 like the 39 narra and five DAO in the 0.75 hectare-lot owned by Domingo Bayan in Barangay Pamurayan, Sorsogon City.

Domingo Bayan is among the 159 registrants included in the list of certificate of registration for private tree plantation issued in the Province of Sorsogon from Calendar Year 1997 to 2008, record at the Forest Management Service of the DENR here shows.

It will be recalled that per DENR Memorandum Circular No. 97-09, the DENR has been encouraging since 1997 all private tree plantation owners to have their plantations be documented. This program recognizes the contribution of the private land owners in wood and lumber production.

A private tree plantation refers to a private land planted to tree crops primarily for wood production and commercial purposes.

Documentation of private tree plantations is needed in order to: 1) determine tree plants established within private lands; 2) facilitate the documentation requirements of future harvests; 3) establish a system for the recognition of the participation of private land owners in the tree plantation development of the government.

Meanwhile, DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada is inviting other landowners who have not yet registered their plantations to see the DENR Office near their locality.

The registrants shall bring with them authenticated copies of land titles where tree plantations are established, Fragada said.

Citing the benefits of the DENR private tree plantation registration program, Fragada said Holders of Certificate of Registration are entitled to incentives under RA 7161, exempting planted trees from forest charges; the Omnibus Investment Code pertaining to tree farmers, and relevant future laws that may be enacted.

The planting and cutting of trees within private lands is in line with DENR Secretary Lito Atienza's advocacy of "plant and harvest only."

This means that cutting of trees can only be allowed on areas planted a long time ago. In other words, one can only harvest or cut trees where one has planted.(ASA)