In 1997, Nghe An Forest Protection Department coordinated with the Vietnam Forest Investigation and Planning Institute to conduct a survey, investigation and study on the feasibility of the investment project to build Pu Hoat Nature Reserve. The results of the survey and research by scientists showed that Pu Hoat had enough conditions to establish a Nature Reserve with a proposed area of 67,934 hectares, located on the administrative boundaries of 6 communes: Dong Van, Hanh Dich, Nam Giai, Thong Thu, Tien Phong and Tri Le of Que Phong district, Nghe An province. However, due to historical conditions at that time, the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board had not been established, the planned forest area of the Reserve was assigned to Que Phong Forest Protection Department for direct management and protection.
On April 2, 2013, in response to practical requirements in forest management, protection, and biodiversity conservation in Que Phong district, and at the same time, implementing the policy of rearranging and innovating the Forestry sector, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1109/QD-UBND on converting Que Phong Protective Forest Management Board into Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board, under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An.
The Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board was established with the task of managing, protecting forests and conserving the biodiversity of 90,741.10 hectares of forests and forest land in Que Phong district (including special-use forests and protective forests). Exactly 2 months later, on June 2, 2013, the People's Committee of Nghe An province held a ceremony to announce Decision No. 1109/QD-UBND, and the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board officially came into operation.
In the early days of its establishment, the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board encountered many difficulties. The organizational structure was not stable and did not match the new requirements and tasks; the number of staff was very thin, with 24 people in 2 specialized departments and 4 forest management and protection stations; the facilities were both lacking and degraded, not meeting the requirements of the tasks; the forest management and protection work was very complicated. Having identified the difficulties and challenges, immediately after its establishment, the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board quickly reorganized its organizational structure, overcame all difficulties to focus on coordinating with all levels, sectors and authorities to synchronously deploy solutions to successfully complete the assigned tasks.
Looking back over the past 10 years, the Management Board of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve has made great efforts to overcome difficulties, creatively apply objective practical conditions, promote potentials and advantages to gradually stabilize the unit. Through many arrangements and changes, up to now, the organizational structure of the unit has basically been arranged in accordance with the provisions of law (Decree No. 120/2020/ND-CP dated October 7, 2020) and meets the requirements of the tasks set in the direction of streamlining, effective and efficient operation.
Currently, the organizational structure of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board includes: Board of Directors, 3 specialized departments and 1 affiliated forest ranger unit. The total number of staff of the unit is 62 people, including 11 forest ranger civil servants, 20 forest ranger officials, 4 career civil servants and 29 self-paid labor contracts. The staff, civil servants and public employees of the unit have been thoroughly trained, meeting the requirements and tasks set out, including 1 doctor; 12 masters, 48 university and 3 intermediate; in terms of political theory level, 2 advanced, 19 intermediate and 25 elementary.
The unit has made efforts to take advantage of programs, projects and investment sources to build and equip facilities. Up to now, the infrastructure system from the working headquarters to the system of forest management and protection stations located at the base has been invested in and built synchronously, modernly and well meets the requirements of the assigned tasks; equipment and machinery serving administrative activities as well as professional activities have been basically fully equipped.
Over the past 10 years, with the synchronous implementation of solutions and the determined efforts of civil servants, public employees and workers, the unit has well protected an area of 86,414.38 hectares of forest and forestry land; maintained a stable upstream forest ecosystem and forest cover. In the management area, it has basically prevented and eliminated hotspots of illegal exploitation, trade, transportation of forest products and hunting and capturing of wild animals, preventing forest fires from occurring.
In recent years, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve has focused on innovating forest management and protection towards enhancing socialization to maintain forest security. Maximizing the direction of all levels and sectors, coordinating with local Party committees and authorities in forest management and protection; attracting communities, forest protection teams and groups, and buffer zone villages to participate in forest protection.
During the period of 2013 - 2023, the Reserve has contracted forest protection to 40,061 households and organizations, with an average total area of 73,983 hectares per year from various sources of funding. Every month, community forest management and protection teams coordinate with forest rangers at stations to organize forest patrols and inspections; at the same time, regularly grasp and provide information to the community so that forest ranger stations can have solutions to effectively and promptly combat and prevent forest encroachment, contributing to maintaining forest security. Over the past 10 years, Pu Hoat forest rangers have coordinated with the communities of contracted villages and hamlets and functional units in the area to organize 7,077 forest patrols and inspections at the base and to hunt down illegal logging, gathering and transporting of forest products in the area. Through people's reports, 271 violations were detected and handled, of which 261 administrative violations were handled and 10 violations were handled criminally in coordination with competent authorities, confiscating more than 726m.3Wood of various types and many other exhibits, means and tools of violation such as sampans, motorbikes, chainsaws, flintlock guns... Penalties were imposed and more than 5,136,000,000 VND was collected for the State budget.
Along with forest management and protection, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve has paid attention to scientific research and achieved remarkable results. The information system and scientific data on biodiversity of the flora and fauna have been gradually improved, supplemented with a lot of new scientific data compared to the time of its establishment, contributing to enhancing the role, position and image of the reserve at the regional level.
From 2013 to now, the unit has cooperated with universities, research institutes and scientific organizations in the country as well as internationally such as the Institute of Ecology and Natural Biology, Vietnam Museum of Nature, Center for Environment and Development of Nghe An Science Association, Vietnam Forestry University, Vinh University, Vietnam - Russia Tropical Center, Forest and Delta Project, Enrich Project... Thereby, 13 research topics on forest flora and fauna have been carried out.
The results of the research confirm that Pu Hoat Nature Reserve is one of the few national reserves with high biodiversity. Regarding plants: Initially, 2,425 plant species of 885 genera, 208 families belonging to 6 higher plant phyla were identified; of which, 130 plant species were listed as being at risk of extinction at different levels. Regarding animals, the research results identified 1,315 animal species of 221 families, 56 orders belonging to 6 classes; of which, 199 animal species were listed as being at risk of extinction at different levels. The values of biodiversity and research data on animal and plant species of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve are continuously updated and supplemented through research programs and topics.
Based on the results of the research, the unit has initially conducted in-depth research in the direction of conservation associated with development, focusing on experimental research on sowing, breeding and developing rare species and species of high economic value. In recent years, the unit has successfully sowed and bred many species such as: Sa mu dau, tubers of yellow betel, mu tun tree, purple leaf khôi, mac khen... These species of plants, after being successfully sown, have been brought out for experimental planting in the field.
Forest development is also a task that Pu Hoat Nature Reserve pays great attention to in order to have many propaganda activities, mobilizing people to participate in forest planting work, gradually bringing the socialization of forestry to the people. From 2013 to now, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve has designed, prepared technical design documents and estimated the cost of concentrated forest planting with a total area of 3,101.18 hectares and 1,521,872 scattered trees distributed throughout Que Phong district. Along with forest planting, in recent years, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve has done a good job of taking care of protective and special-use planted forests, with a total volume of 527.4 hectares; sowing more than 4 million seedlings of various types, meeting the standards and needs of the reserve in implementing a number of projects and the needs of local people.
During the 10-year process of construction and development, generations of leaders, civil servants, public employees and workers of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board have always been united and devoted all their enthusiasm, intelligence and efforts to protect and develop forest resources and conserve biodiversity. Up to now, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board has gradually affirmed its role and position and become one of the leading units of the Forestry sector of Nghe An province; facilities have been invested in construction and procurement quite synchronously, spacious and impressive, basically meeting the requirements for performing the assigned tasks. In recognition of the efforts and struggles of generations of leaders, civil servants, public employees and workers of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board, the Party, State and Nghe An province have awarded many noble awards such as: Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister; 3 times received Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and General Department of Forestry; The Provincial People's Committee Chairman awarded the Certificate of Merit 4 times; the Provincial People's Committee awarded the Emulation Flag 3 times. Notably, in 2023, the unit was honored to receive the Third Class Labor Medal from the President. This is a worthy reward for the efforts of the collective leadership, civil servants, public employees and workers of the unit over the years, who have not been afraid of difficulties and hardships, and have excellently completed the assigned tasks.
Promoting the tradition and achievements during 10 years of construction and development, in the coming time, the collective leadership, civil servants, public employees and workers of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve will continue to unite, be dynamic, creative and strive to overcome difficulties, striving to make Pu Hoat Nature Reserve become the center of biodiversity conservation and tourism of Nghe An province and the region.
