NVizcaya to Launch Tree Planting Project

by Ben Moses Ebreo

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (December 2) — The provincial government here will be embarking on a massive tree planting project designed to reforest denuded areas of this province which is considered as a critical watershed for Cagayan Valley.

Manuel Tabora, provincial administrator said a proposed project is already underway to reforest Nueva Vizcaya’s mountains.

“It is already within the sangguniang panlalawigan and we hope that this will be acted soon so that we can start with this project,” he said during the last quarter meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Committee (MFPC) at the Ammungan hall here.

Tabora said the massive reforestation project involves the planting of some 50,000 hectares where its sustainability will be hinged on the non-government organizations and local government units of the 15 municipalities here.

He said the project revolves on the following factors: planting, protection of the environment, cooperation of LGUs and memorandum of agreement with NGOs.

The tree planting project was conceived, he said due to the continuing denudation of the province’s forest cover which serves as a vital watershed for the Cagayan Valley region and neighboring provinces in Central Luzon.

Nueva Vizcaya’s forest cover started to decrease since the 1960s due to the influx of upland dwellers, illegal logging and the practice of slash and burn system of farming specially in the upland areas. (PIA NVizcaya)