Forestry scheme offers investors up to 40,000 hectares for development

THE government's new investor-focused forest-management program will allow participants to pursue various business objectives like wood production and ecotourism on allocations of up to 40,000 hectares each for tenures of 25 years.

- By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza Reporter

The Sustainable Forest Land Management Agreement (SFLMA), which offers 1.2 million hectares of forest land for private investment in the first year, is expected to boost wood production and renewable energy use, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

Participants will sign production-sharing agreements to use forest land for ventures in agroforestry, forest plantation, pasture and livestock development, ecotourism, renewable energy, and carbon offset projects.