Combating National Park encroachers - Mar 31, 2005
Natural
Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat has plans to merge
the Forestry Department and the National Park, Wildlife and Plant
Conservation Department (DNP), which were separated in 2002.
''Having two separate agencies working on forestry and wildlife conservation
is doing more harm than good to our natural resources,'' said Mr Yongyuth,
who is serving on the cabinet for the first time.
''The two departments have failed to work together and have performed poorly
over the past few years due to overlapping tasks,'' he said after a meeting
with 2,700 staff from the two departments.
His proposal received a round of applause from the meeting.
The DNP was separated from the Forestry Department as part of public sector
reforms of 2002, during the first Thaksin government.
The Forestry Department manages forest reserves and forest plantations for
economic purposes, while the DNP focuses on forestry and wildlife
conservation in protected areas, including national parks, wildlife
sanctuaries and watersheds.
The Forestry Department was under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives before being moved to the Natural Resources and Environment
Ministry in 2003 due to rising inconsistencies in forestry management.
''A merger would improve the efficiency of the two departments,'' said Mr
Yongyuth. ''I bet that after they become a single agency forest cover will
increase, forest fires will decrease and wildlife will be better
protected.'' The merger would be completed within six months, if
approved.
Mr Yongyuth said he was serious about cracking down on national park
encroachers, particularly influential people trespassing on marine national
parks. The minister chose Koh Chang in the eastern Gulf of Thailand as the
pilot area for suppression of park encroachers.
He also vowed to increase Thailand's forest cover from 28% to 32% of the
total area. Mr Yongyuth ordered his officials to implement individual
reforestation projects, covering about 200 rai each.
''Any official wanting to be promoted must prove that he or she has already
reforested 200 rai of land,'' he said.
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