Method for Determining Damage and Causes of Forest Fires Effective from February 15, 2020

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The forest owner determines the damage caused by the forest fire according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 52 of Decree 156/2018/ND-CP, including: area, type of forest, forest condition that is damaged; damage to people, property, and other damages (if any).

Furthermore, the identification of the cause of the forest fire is guided in Clause 2 of Circular 25/2019/TT-BNNPTNT as follows:

- The investigation and identification of the cause of the forest fire are carried out according to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 52 of Decree 156/2018/ND-CP.

- Based on the nature, extent of the violation, and the level of damage, propose handling according to the provisions of the law.

The forest owner is responsible for implementing measures to restore the forest after the fire according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 52 of Decree 156/2018/ND-CP.

The local Forest Protection Agency is responsible for cooperating with the Commune People's Committee to guide and inspect the determination of the damage caused by the forest fire and urge the forest owner to implement forest restoration after the fire.

On the other hand, Circular 25/2019/TT-BNNPTNT provides detailed guidance on policies for reporting forest fires with the following two reporting periods:

First, periodic forest fire reports, including: monthly reports, quarterly reports, semi-annual reports, and annual reports according to the provisions of Circular 12/2019/TT-BNNPTNT, October 25, 2019, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Forestry Statistics.

Second, ad-hoc reports

- Forest fire incident report: within 10 working days from the date the forest fire is extinguished, the forest owner is responsible for making a report on the forest fire and sending it to the local Forest Protection Agency. Within 1 day from the date of receiving the report from the forest owner, the local Forest Protection Agency is responsible for reporting to the Provincial Forest Protection Department. Within 3 working days from the date of receiving the report from the local Forest Protection Agency, the Provincial Forest Protection Department reports to the Provincial People's Committee and the Forest Protection Department. The content of the forest fire report must comply with Appendix II issued together with this Circular.

- In case of an emergency report to fulfill the requirements of state management directives, the reporting agency must issue a document clearly stating the purpose, time, and contents needed for the report.

More details can be found in: Circular 25/2019/TT-BNNPTNT effective from February 15, 2020.

Thu Ba

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