Decision No. 1976/QD-TTg approving the master plan on the national special-use forest system through 2020, with a vision toward 2030.

This Decision approves the master plan on the national special-use forest system through 2020, with a vision toward 2030, with the following major contents: a) The overall objectives are: to conserve and sustainably develop important natural eco-systems, values of natural landscapes, historical and cultural relics and scenic places and endangered, precious and rare species in the special-use forest system. b) Specific objectives are: to increase the total area of special-use forests from 2.2 million ha at present to 2.4 million ha by 2020, in line with the Strategy for management of systems of special-use forests, marine reserves and inland water reserves of Vietnam through 2020, with a vision toward 2030 under the Prime Minister's Decision No. 218/QD-TTg of 7 February 2014; - To review, adjust and supplement the master plan on the special-use forest system according to the criteria provided in Article 5 of the Government's Decree No. 117/2010/NDCP of 24 December 2010, on organization and management of the special-use forest system; - To complete the determination of the boundary of and the placement of boundary markers for functional sub-zones and buffer zones of special-use forests; to clearly delineate the land area zoned off for purposes from the area zoned off for the special-use forest system in order to promote forest and environmental protection and the conservation of nature and endangered, precious and rare species in a harmonious manner.
The planning objectives include: to review and adjust the master plan on 164 special-use forests in line with the result of reviewing the plan on three forest types according to the Prime Minister's Directive No. 38/2005/CT-TTg of December 5, 2005; and in consistence with the classification of forests meeting the prescribed criteria. To complete the nation's special-use forest system with 2.4 million ha by 2020, comprising 176 zones: 34 national parks, 58 nature reserves, 14 species/ habitat reserves, 61 landscape protection zones and scientific research and experimentation forests of 9 units (Appendix).