Question & AnswerQ&A (DENR MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 23)
It amends Section 1 of Memorandum Circular No. 5, Series of 1990, which provides guidelines on the cutting of mangrove tree species within approved Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) areas.
Yes, cutting of mangrove species, including nipa palm, within existing FLA areas is allowed subject to certain conditions and compliance with DENR Administrative Order No. 15 dated February 1, 1990.
Yes, no cutting of trees within duly approved FLA areas is allowed without a cutting permit issued by the DENR.
Buffer zones of mangrove forest 50 meters wide fronting seas, oceans, and other bodies of water, and 20 meters wide on both sides of river channels/banks must be maintained or developed according to P.D. 705 and Ministry Administrative Order No. 42, Series of 1986.
Mangrove wood cut under a cutting permit must be turned over to the DENR for disposition through public bidding, with the permittee/FLA developer having the right to equal the highest bid within three working days after the bidding date.
Yes, the FLA developer must plant an area equivalent to the aggregate area clear-cut with mangrove species and maintain it for three years with at least eighty percent survival at their own expense.
Performance bonds must be posted by the permittee/FLA developer equivalent to the estimated value of the mangrove wood to be gathered and the estimated cost of reforestation and maintenance.
This Circular took effect immediately upon its adoption on December 5, 1990.