Effective solutions in forest management and protection

(Baonghean) -Nghe An has a large forest area, many of which border the Vietnam-Laos border. In recent years, in addition to the forest rangers' responsibility to protect the forest, the provincial Border Guard has also contributed significantly to protecting the forest at the border.

CIt can be said that up to now, there has been no coordination between forest rangers and the Provincial Border Guard in "written documents" on forest protection work. However, the Provincial Border Guard in many places on the border land has performed quite well the task of border patrol and forest protection, and has pushed back and swept away hot spots of deforestation. We went to Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong), where in the past, the forests bordering this border area were still destroyed day and night by illegal loggers.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Cong Luc - Head of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station shared: The station manages Hanh Dich and Nam Giai communes, with 20.5 km of Vietnam - Laos border. For a long time, in the Muong Dan forest area of ​​Hanh Dich commune, bordering Pha Khom and Nam Bong villages of Sam To district, Hua Phan province - Laos, there has been a frequent occurrence of deforestation of Po Mu forests. The brokers from the lowlands mainly hire local people to deforest, some of them also transport wood to Thong Thu area to mix with resettled people to transport wood to build houses.

Faced with the above situation, soldiers of Hanh Dich Station increased border patrols, in coordination with forest rangers to hunt down illegal loggers. According to Nguyen Cong Luc: The people were hired by the brokers to cut wood, then transport it by buffalo to the edge of the forest, then disperse it through many illegal routes. When the border guards discovered it, many subjects "abandoned the wood and ran away". Thanks to regular patrols and setting up checkpoints right at the entrance of Muong Dan forest, deforestation has now been basically limited.

Chau Khe Border Post (Con Cuong) coordinates with Pu Mat National Park Forest Ranger Department to patrol the border and protect the forest.

Ms. Vi Thi Mai in Cham village confided: Previously, illegal timber was transported by motorbikes running noisily on this road. Thanks to the border guards chasing away illegal loggers, it has been limited. Now people can travel safely without worrying about motorbikes carrying timber speeding or recklessly overtaking.

It is known that Hanh Dich commune has 11 villages, including Chieng village, Kin village, Pom Om village, Cham village, Pa Co village... People's lives are still difficult, rice fields are scarce, the border guards of Hanh Dich station regularly mobilize and propagate people to protect the forest. They guide and help people how to take care of crops and livestock, such as building wet rice models with bamboo rat manure, raising chickens and pigs in a concentrated manner... From 2012 to now, Hanh Dich border guard station has caught 8 cases, confiscated more than 20m3 of wood, coordinated with Que Phong Forest Protection Department to arrest 64m3 of wood of all kinds, and handed it over to Que Phong Forest Protection Department for handling.

Mr. Le Hai Ly - Head of the Que Phong District Forest Protection Department said: Que Phong Forest Protection Department manages 180,000 hectares of forest, including 73 km of the Vietnam - Laos border. In 2013, 3 Border Guard Stations in the area, including Hanh Dich, Thong Thu, and Tri Le Border Guard Stations, confiscated illegal forest products and handed over to the Forest Protection Department to handle nearly 40m3 of various types of wood.

In addition, Pu Mat National Park has coordinated with border guards in recent years to protect special-use forests. We followed the border guards of Chau Khe Station and Khe Bu Forest Rangers to patrol the forest in Pu Xam Liem near Khe Nong village, Chau Khe commune. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Trung - Chief of Chau Khe Station said: On each border patrol, the Station regularly coordinates with the forest rangers to protect the forest. We have 10 - 12 people, carrying weapons, ammunition and food to patrol for 7 - 10 days. The arduous forest patrols always have to deal with mosquitoes, leeches, snails, rising floods... The group has to carry sharp knives to clear bushes to open paths, cut bamboo to build tents to sleep in the deep forest. In addition to detecting and repelling illegal logging, the soldiers and forest rangers remove animal traps set throughout the forest.

It is known that in the past, there were reckless subjects entering the forest to cut down wood. When discovered by the forest rangers, they used homemade guns to threaten the forest rangers. Chau Khe Border Guard Station quickly arrested the subjects including Vi Ngo and Lo Tuan, both of whom were local people. Since the beginning of 2013, Chau Khe Station has not had to handle any cases of forest law violations because there is no more deforestation in this area. The soldiers of the Station propagate and mobilize people not to violate the law on forest protection.

Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong - Deputy Director of Pu Mat National Park said: Pu Mat National Park manages over 94,804 hectares, with 61 km of Vietnam - Laos border. For a long time, the park has had its own regulations to coordinate forest protection with 5 border posts, including Phuc Son Post (Anh Son), Chau Khe Post, Khe Bu Post, Mon Son Post (Con Cuong), Tam Hop Post (Tuong Duong). Coordinating with the border posts in forest protection is very effective, because the Border Guard force is equipped with weapons when patrolling, has the right to check subjects in the border area... so illegal logging subjects are often very afraid of this "interdisciplinary team".

Colonel Hoang Ngoc Nam - Deputy Commander - Provincial Border Guard Command said: Since the beginning of 2013, the Provincial Border Guard has discovered and confiscated over 170m3 of various types of wood and hundreds of violators to the forest rangers. Thanks to the propaganda and mobilization work of the border guards, the situation of ethnic minorities in the areas entering the forest to cut down trees has decreased significantly. Forest management and protection work in border districts has had many positive changes.

To enhance the coordination between the Forest Rangers and the Provincial Border Guard in forest protection work to bring high efficiency, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Provincial Border Guard Command has issued a coordination regulation on "Forest management and protection work" No. 2295/QCPH.SNN-BĐBP dated September 30, 2013. The regulation stipulates the principles, contents and coordination relations between the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial Border Guard Command in the field of forest management and protection, forest product management and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas and other State management fields under the responsibility of each side. Accordingly, the two sides will regularly exchange information on the situation related to the field of forest management and protection to agree on handling measures...

Hopefully, after having a coordination regulation on "Forest management and protection" between the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial Border Guard Command, there will be more advantages and effectiveness in forest protection work.

Article and photos:Van Truong