After clarifying three cases of deforestation, Con Cuong district is considering bringing the involved individuals to trial in a mobile court.
(Baonghean.vn) - Con Cuong District has directed relevant agencies to transfer the files of three cases of deforestation in Thach Ngan, Cam Lam, and Binh Chuan communes to the police investigation agency to clarify the illegal acts of deforestation.
Information fromCon Cuong District People's Committee"The district is aiming to bring these deforestation cases to trial in mobile courts in Thach Ngan, Cam Lam, and Binh Chuan communes after completing the investigation to clarify the violations..."
Specifically, in Thach Ngan commune, on March 4, 2024, the local forest rangers, in coordination with the commune's People's Committee, inspected and discovered that the forest in Lot 13, Section 4, Sub-area 757, Parcel No. 80, Map Sheet No. 1 had been cleared of undergrowth over an area of approximately 100,000 m2.
Subsequent verification by the working group, comprising representatives from the Forest Protection Department, the Forestry Planning and Survey Team, the Con Cuong Forest Protection Unit, and the Thach Ngan Commune People's Committee, confirmed the current state of the forest in the affected area, specifically in lots 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, plot 3, sub-area 757. The total affected area is 94,827 m².2; of which, the area of forest that was cleared is 9,461 m²2The area of vacant land with regenerating trees and wild bananas is 85,366 m².2According to the approved map of the three types of forests in Nghe An province, as stipulated in Decision No. 48/2014/QD-UBND dated August 15, 2014, the area where the trees were illegally cut down falls within the planned production forest area.
The individual involved in the deforestation case has been identified as Mr. Nguyen Trong Son (born in 1964), residing at Group 12, Thuy Duong Ward, Huong Thuy Town, Thua Thien Hue Province. He confessed to purchasing plot number 80, map sheet number 1, Thach Ngan Commune from a household in Ke Tat Hamlet, Thach Ngan Commune. At the end of February 2024, he hired a resident of Thach Son Hamlet, Thach Ngan Commune, to clear banana trees and vines at a cost of 4,000,000 VND/hectare. Mr. Nguyen Trong Son personally cleared bamboo and regenerating timber trees on an area of 9,000 m² on March 8, 2024.2with the purpose of reforestation.
Shortly before that, Mr. Nguyen Trong Son was also found to have organized illegal deforestation in Cam Lam commune. Specifically, on March 27, 2024, forces in Cam Lam commune inspected and discovered that in Lot 55, Section 04, Sub-area 739, in the Khe Cum area, Cam village, there was illegal logging of bamboo and banana trees, affecting a total area of approximately 15,000 m².2.
Upon inspection, the forest land belonging to plot number 264, map sheet number 02, Cam Lam commune, was found to be semi-poor, naturally regenerating forest with no timber reserves. The State had assigned it to a resident of Cam village, Cam Lam commune, for management and use. Subsequent verification by the Cam Lam Commune People's Committee and the Con Cuong Forest Protection Department revealed that Mr. Nguyen Trong Son admitted to purchasing the aforementioned plot of land. He then hired two residents of Cam village, Cam Lam commune, to illegally clear the forest.
Also in Cam Lam commune, on March 14, 2024, the People's Committee of the commune issued a quick report on the illegal deforestation incident in lots 24 and 21, plot 7, sub-area 739, parcel 29, map sheet number 2. Through inspection and verification, the area illegally cleared and burned was approximately 56,000 square meters.2Specifically, at lot 24, plot 7, sub-area 739, land parcel number 29 was illegally cleared and burned, affecting approximately 27,000 m².2At plot 21, section 7, sub-area 739, land parcel number 30, approximately 29,000 m² of land was illegally cleared and burned.2.
Regarding the forest status of the area illegally cleared and burned, it is a semi-poor, naturally regenerating forest with no timber reserves. Plots No. 29 and No. 30 were allocated by the State to two residents of Cam village, Cam Lam commune, for management according to Decree 163/ND-CP. However, these two residents transferred plots No. 29 and No. 30 to Mr. Nguyen Trong Son, residing in Group 12, Thuy Duong, Huong Thuy, Thua Thien Hue. Subsequently, Mr. Nguyen Trong Son resold these two plots to Mr. Nguyen Trong Niem (born in 1972), residing in Cam village, Cam Lam commune.
On March 25, 2024, Mr. Nguyen Trong Niem surrendered to the Con Cuong Forest Ranger Station, confessing to his act of destroying the forest on the aforementioned plots of land. He also admitted to hiring a group of people to cut down bamboo, small trees, and other vegetation on plots 29 and 30 over four days; and in late February 2024, he continued to hire people to cut down larger trees that had not been cut down previously, and burned the entire area where the forest had been cleared.
In Binh Chuan commune, one case of deforestation was discovered on February 16, 2024, at Cha Lan ravine, Na Co village, on production forest land plot number 6, map sheet number 5; the area cleared was approximately 40,000 m².2This forest land was allocated by the State to a household in Na Co village for management and protection. However, this household transferred it to Mr. Nguyen Van Tam (born in 1977), residing in Hop Thinh block, Quy Hop town, Quy Hop district, who is outside Con Cuong district.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tam subsequently confessed to organizing illegal deforestation in the days before and after the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024, with the purpose of planting acacia trees; and was discovered and documented by the functional forces of Binh Chuan commune.
On February 20, 2024, the Con Cuong Forest Ranger Station inspected and verified the scene. The area of forest illegally cleared is within the production forest planning zone, with an area of approximately 40,000 m2; located in lots 111, 114, and 116; Plot 6; Sub-area 733, belonging to land parcel number 6, map sheet number 5, Na Co village, Binh Chuan commune, Con Cuong district; and the forest status is natural forest with timber reserves.
According to a representative of the Con Cuong District People's Committee, based on current regulations on administrative penalties in the field of forestry, the actions of the individuals involved in the aforementioned deforestation cases exceeded the penalty threshold. Therefore, in addition to directing the Forest Protection Department to coordinate with the People's Committees of the communes to strengthen propaganda work, establish forest patrol and inspection teams, and protect the scene of deforestation, the District People's Committee has assigned the Forest Protection Department to complete the dossier and transfer it to the District Police for investigation and handling according to the law.
