Farmers to be moved from bald mountains

Farmers on maize plantations in watershed areas in Nan province are set to be relocated from the protected forest zone. The move is part of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s forest rehabilitation scheme for khao hua lone or bald mountains.

The ministry has already handed over 180,000 rai of land in a nearby zone to the governor of Nan to ready the resettlement, said Pralong Damrongthai, the ministry’s spokesman and also chairman of the coordinated-working group dealing with land and forest problems in the province.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will give suggestions on how to set up functioning plantations in the new area on which the farmers will live and work.

“We’re not really moving people out of watershed zones as we conducted a survey and found no houses there. We just need them to plant crops in proper areas that we have set aside,” he said.

There are 28,000 families living on plantations in watershed areas on higher ground, according to the ministry. Most of the farmers plant maize for animal feed.

Under the plan, the governor will closely work with 15 district chiefs to conduct a survey and reach an understanding with locals, with hopes that the bald mountain rehabilitation plan in Nan might start this year and provide a model for other provinces.

Mr Pralong said the governor may ask the department to allow forest land use under Section 16 of the National Reserved Forest Act, allowing for people to stay or otherwise benefit from it. That move would be faster than working through the national committee on land allocation to the poor, he said.

Once an agreement is concluded with locals, Mr Pralong said the department will work with the private sector to rehabilitate the forest in the watershed areas.

The deforestation has also resulted in droughts and flash floods during times of heavy rainfall.

“Both the governor and the ministry share the same point of view that there should no longer be maize plantations in watershed areas,” said Mr Pralong.

Public agencies have been working with locals to tackle the issue of deforestation in Nan, with the government aiming to increase forest area in the province to 40% of the total over the next 20 years, up from 33%.

The bald mountains are viewed as a prime target for the forest rehabilitation scheme.

Land allocation to the poor is one policy the government is employing to tackle the issue of encroachment. In Nan province alone, 25,000 rai has already been allocated to the poor and another 32,000 rai is slated for approval by the national committee on land allocation for the poor.

The effort to reclaim forest areas of up to 41,555 rai from encroachers in Nan has been applauded by permanent secretary for agriculture Theerapat Prayurasiddhi.

That figure is about half the government’s target of 79,706 rai, with the ultimate goal of reclaiming 1.6 million rai of forest land that is illegally being occupied by maize farmers in Nan.

“Though the government is still far from its end goal, 40,000 rai is satisfactory because it’s not easy to claim back forest land that has been encroached on for 10 years,” said Mr Theerapat.

Environmental activist Sasin Chalermlarp, president of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation, said that local participation is key to success. He said if agreement can be reached on all sides, no one should object to the project, as it is prudent to protect and preserve watershed zones.