Exploiting bamboo and hunting for… hidden dangers of forest fires

(Baonghean)Nowadays, many people from all over the world set up tents in the deep forest to make a living by exploiting bamboo and bamboo in Dong Van, Thong Thu, Tien Phong communes (Que Phong). This profession always has the potential to cause forest fires.

The day we entered the resettlement areas of Hua Na Hydropower Plant in Dong Van - Que Phong Commune, in the harsh midday sun, we saw many people dragging bamboo trees to the roadside to saw. Luong Van Quang, from Quy Hop, was carrying a bundle of bamboo trees towards the camp. He said: We went in groups of 4-7 people, mostly from Quy Hop and Nghia Dan. At 3am, everyone brought tools, saws, and knives into the forest to cut bamboo and bamboo trees, then dragged them to the temporary camp set up on the roadside of Thong Thu Border Gate. Bamboo and bamboo trees in these forests often grow in concentrated areas, so they are easy to cut, but transportation is very difficult.

Their lunch consisted only of dry food. Luong Van Thao, a member of the bamboo exploitation group, said: “We cooked rice with stream water, and the main food was dried fish, dried shrimp, dried bamboo shoots… What we feared most was the rain in the forest. There were days when the wind blew the tarpaulin away, and we were soaked in the middle of the wild forest.” According to Thao, sometimes commune officials and forest rangers came to inspect bamboo exploitation, searched for it, and told us not to let forest fires happen.



Sawing finished products waiting for traders to pick up in Tien Phong commune (Que Phong).

Along the way to Thong Thu Border Gate, there are many tents on both sides of the road belonging to bamboo and rattan harvesters. Mr. Sam Dong in Phuong Tien I village, Tien Phong commune, Que Phong said: His family does not have rice fields, raising livestock is difficult, so he has to follow this profession to make a living. From dawn to dusk, each person in the group cuts and carries about 30 rattan trees to the gathering place. Then, the rattan is sawed into pieces about 45-60 cm long, each piece is split into 3 panels, about 30 panels are tied into a bundle (equivalent to 10 kg); sold for 1,200 VND/kg of rattan; working hard every day, after deducting expenses, the average income is from 200,000-250,000 VND/day/person.

Mr. Lo Van Chung in Tien Phong commune said: This job can only be done on sunny days, but in the rain and wind it is unbearable because going into the forest is both slippery and full of leeches. As for the output, there is no need to worry because the traders from the lowlands buy very strongly. They mainly buy to sell to establishments that make handicrafts, chopsticks, toothpicks, etc. Mr. Chung said: Quality bamboo and lac must be 2-3 years old or older, if young trees are exploited, traders may not take them. "Exploiting bamboo and lac is very easy to catch fire in the forest, so do you have any measures?" "When we cut down lac, we try to drag the whole tree out to the border gate, then saw it in pieces, not in the forest because bamboo and lac are very easy to burn."

Mr. Lang Van Tuan - Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee discussed: The whole commune has a forest area of ​​about 30,000 hectares, of which there are over 2,000 hectares of bamboo and reed. Bamboo and reed exploitation has been popular since 2008 until now, due to traders ordering people to exploit. This profession has created regular jobs for about 1,000 workers, said to be a part-time job but is the main income for many people. Typically, households of Luong Van Dung and Luong Van Tien in Pieng Pung, Dong Van Commune, thanks to bamboo exploitation, each family has been able to buy 2 cows, and have money to raise their children to study. The planning of the construction of Hua Na Hydropower Plant will have 2,600 hectares flooded, the commune and functional sectors have allowed people to take advantage of it for exploitation. Bamboo exploitation is in accordance with the process to minimize the risk of forest fires.

Que Phong district has about 3,000 hectares of bamboo and reed in the communes of Dong Van, Thong Thu, Tien Phong... In addition to the task of coordinating with the communes to patrol and control the process of people exploiting bamboo and reed, Que Phong Forest Protection Department has promptly advised the district People's Committee and communes with bamboo and reed areas to stop exploiting during hot weather. Thoroughly instructing households to take bamboo and reed products out of the forest to cut and cut to avoid fires.

Exploiting bamboo is also a way to help people improve their lives, because if they are not exploited in time, the old bamboo areas will also die. However, Que Phong Forest Protection Department and communes with bamboo areas need to have regular supervision to minimize the risk of forest fires.

Vuong Tran