Thai forest department eases land use rules for state agencies
The Royal Forest Department (RFD) plans to streamline its regulations to simplify land use for state agencies, as announced by RFD Director-General, Surachai Achalaboon. This initiative aligns with the new policy set by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on.
Surachai highlighted that the department will amend existing laws to be more flexible, facilitating local authorities in obtaining forest use permits more efficiently.
“The amended regulation is for local agencies and state-owned agencies that need to develop degraded forest lands for the public good, such as for building roads, schools, and hospitals.”
It would also address concerns about human intrusion in forests, which can lead to floods.
The department aims to expedite the review process for requests from government agencies wishing to utilise forest areas. Currently, 137,000 pending requests will be addressed within six months, according to Surachai. The committee responsible for considering the use of national reserve forests will convene more frequently, increasing their meetings from once to twice a month to achieve this goal.
Addressing concerns about potential forest loss, Surachai assured that the revised regulations would not impact forest reserves, as permission will not be granted for use in mountainous areas. The department’s policy focuses on increasing the number of trees in deteriorated forest zones, in line with the ministry’s objective to expand green areas and improve the environment, reported Bangkok Post.
In related news, southern residents are urging the government to revoke two Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) bills and abandon the Land Bridge megaproject, claiming these initiatives will drastically alter their way of life.
Approximately 50 members of the Phato-Ranong Conservation Network convened at the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district yesterday, calling for the party to retract the two bills it had drafted.
In other news, the anti-corruption commission apprehended a Krabi land officer for the fraudulent issuance of 33 land titles within a permanent forest area, knowingly violating the law.
