AT THE END OF JUNE 2022, WE HEARD THAT A NATURAL FOREST HAS BEEN DESOLATED IN CHAU CUONG MOUNTAIN (QUI HOP) WITH A DESTRUCTION AREA OF UP TO 2 HEctare, WE TAKEN A TRIP TO THE FOREST TO SEE IT WITH OUR OWN AND FIND OUT THE CAUSE.
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Contacting Chau Cuong commune, it was confirmed that in early May 2022, a natural forest destruction incident occurred in the area bordering Chau Thai commune. Chau Cuong commune Party Secretary, Mr. Luu Van Diem said: “Immediately after receiving information about the forest destruction incident, the commune coordinated with the forest owner and the district's functional forces to go to the scene to inspect. The district police have also received the file and are currently investigating to clarify the subject of the forest destruction...". Asking for directions to the destroyed forest area, Mr. Luu Xuan Diem said: "This forest area is under the management and protection of Quy Hop Forestry Enterprise, located at the end of the commune. If you go to the scene, you should go from Chau Thai direction, entering from Chau Cuong will be very difficult...".
According to the Secretary of the Chau Cuong Commune Party Committee, early in the morning of July 4, from the direction of Chau Thai, we went back to the deforested area. To get there, we had to follow the routes used to transport acacia wood on the mountain slopes, and spend about 30 minutes climbing uphill and through the forest. The deforested area, at two locations in block 7, sub-zone 295B. The first location, identified as block 18 and block 19, is currently completely cleared. What is on it shows that the forest is made up of shrubs, bamboo, giang, banana and a few trees. All the trees that were cut down, lying in the same location, are dry and withered, with a very high risk of forest fire.
The second location is only about 20 minutes away from the first location, through the forest, cutting through a mountainside. This place is identified as Lot 14. Here, the forest has also been basically cleared. The current situation shows that the forest has quite a lot of trees and shrubs. The trees are mainly 20-30cm in diameter; some trees are over 30cm in diameter. With the trunks and stumps still intact at the scene, it shows that the number of trees that were cut down is quite large, the cuts are dry, and some stumps have sprouted new shoots. Asking the workers and officers of Quy Hop Forestry who went with them, they said that the natural forest areas that were destroyed were production forests. According to the forest inventory results in 2015, this is a restored evergreen forest, being protected. The destroyed area at the first location is about 1.4 hectares; at the second location, about 1.1 hectares.
Chau Cuong Forest Protection Station worker Tran Huu Duong said that on May 3, the station discovered the deforestation. Immediately after that, the station reported to the unit's leaders and the authorities to organize an inspection of all the deforested areas and trace the deforesters. According to Duong, the deforested area was quite far from the residential area, about 2-3km of steep mountain roads and streams; with the deforested area of about 2.5 hectares, the deforesters had to do it within 10-15 days.
Speaking to Tran Huu Duong, the destruction of natural forests was large, showing that the incident was discovered late, to ask: "How does Chau Cuong Forest Protection Station recognize its responsibility in inspecting, protecting, and detecting violations when such a large area of deforestation occurred?". This worker from Quy Hop Forestry Company acknowledged that the recent deforestation was not discovered in a timely manner. But he also stated that the station's management and protection area is large, about 1,200 hectares, including planted forests and natural forests spread across the three communes of Chau Thanh, Chau Cuong, and Chau Hong. Meanwhile, the station's force is very thin, at the time of the incident there were only 3 people. Moreover, the mountainous terrain is complex, so traveling to inspect is very difficult...
When asked to assess the nature of the deforestation, Tran Huu Duong said: “This is a natural regenerating forest that is being protected and the area destroyed is quite large, so the Forestry Department determined that this is a serious incident. As for the cause, through initial investigation, we believe that the deforestation was aimed at occupying land and planting acacia trees…”
Connecting with the Forest Protection Department, it is known that on May 19, 2022, this unit received Report No. 131/BC-KL dated May 19, 2022 from the Mobile Forest Protection & Fire Prevention Team No. 3 on the case of deforestation of natural forests under the management of Quy Hop Forest Enterprise. The report content is the discovery of deforestation on the forest area managed by Quy Hop Forest Enterprise at lots 14, 18, 19, compartment 7, sub-area 295B, Chau Cuong commune with a total area of 26,300 m2production forest, natural state of evergreen broadleaf mountain forest restored (TXP).
According to Report No. 131/BC-KL, on May 18, 2022, Mobile Forest Ranger and Fire Prevention Team No. 3 inspected the forest under the management of Quy Hop Forest Enterprise. The inspection process was attended by representatives of the District People's Committee, Forest Ranger Department, Chau Cuong Commune People's Committee and representatives of Quy Hop Forest Enterprise. Inspection results at Lot 14, Section 7, Sub-area 295B, the area of deforestation was 11,780 m2.3. The current status of the forest according to the 2015 forest inventory is evergreen broadleaf forest recovering, in the inspected area there are some cut stumps, the tree trunks are still intact at the scene. Checking at lot 18, lot 19, compartment 7, sub-area 295B, the area of deforestation is 14,520 m2. The current status of the forest according to the 2015 forest inventory is evergreen broadleaf forest recovering, in the inspected area there are some cut stumps, the tree trunks are still intact at the scene. Based on the 3-type forest planning map according to Decision 48/2014/QD-UBND dated August 15, 2014 of the Provincial People's Committee, the deforested area is natural forest, the production forest type under the management of Quy Hop Forestry Enterprise.
Asked Mr. Trinh Tuan Anh - Deputy Director of Quy Hop Forestry for details about the forest owner's involvement. After receiving the report from Chau Cuong Forest Protection Station, the Forestry leaders directed the station and increased the number of personnel on duty at the scene to detect violators and promptly prevent further forest destruction. In addition, the Forestry also promptly reported the incident to Chau Cuong Commune, Forest Protection Station No. 3, and Quy Hop Forest Protection Department, requesting coordination to investigate the subject for handling. Because the area of destroyed forest is relatively large, and it is a natural forest that is being protected and protected, and all impacts are strictly prohibited, since May 9, the Forestry has filed a complaint and sent a file to the Investigation Police Agency of Quy Hop District Police, requesting an investigation to clarify the incident and the subjects who committed the forest destruction.
On the side of the Forestry Department, according to Mr. Trinh Tuan Anh, they also proactively grasped information from the people, identified a number of suspicious subjects and fully reported to the investigation agency. “After receiving the records and information from the Forestry Department, the investigation agency quickly took action. I know that two subjects have proactively surrendered to the investigation agency. One subject is named Lo Van Cuong, residing in Teo village, the other subject is Lo Van Manh, residing in Ha Dong village, both in Chau Cuong commune. They have confessed to the act of deforestation. Based on the confessions of the two subjects, the investigation agency is continuing to expand the investigation to clarify the case..” – Deputy Director of Quy Hop Forestry Department informed.
When asked about the responsibility of the forest owner for this incident, Mr. Trinh Tuan Anh said that, for the destruction of natural forests within the area assigned by the State to manage and protect, the Forestry Department and Chau Cuong Forest Protection Station could not avoid responsibility. Mr. Trinh Tuan Anh said: “Also from this incident, we have drawn lessons in our work, will coordinate better with the functional agencies, the authorities at two levels in the area to have solutions to better implement the work of forest protection…”.
Entering the destroyed natural forest area, we used a flycam to record the mountainous terrain of Chau Cuong. Determining the area where deforestation occurred far from residential areas, to get there from Chau Cuong, we had to go through the forest, climb the mountain slope for a long distance. Thinking about planting forests, we had to invest a lot of money in human resources, fertilizers, seedlings, etc.; while the forest land area was under the management of Quy Hop Forestry Enterprise. Asking the question: Suppose the deforestation was successful, and acacia trees were planted, but would the subjects be able to harvest them for economic benefits later? Then answering ourselves: Impossible! Thinking about these things, wondering if the subjects in Chau Cuong destroyed the forest with the purpose of occupying land and planting acacia; or if they were hired by "brokers", as happened in the case of deforestation in Bac Son commune (Quy Hop)...
Therefore, also on July 4, when talking with representatives of the Party Committee and the government of Chau Cuong commune, the local officials also expressed their concerns. According to them, the individuals who turned themselves in were not considered to be lacking in awareness, and their family circumstances were not too difficult. Party Secretary Luu Xuan Diem said: “A few years ago, during the cultivation process, there were a few people encroaching on the forest land, leading to disputes. But those were small incidents, which were then thoroughly resolved. The destruction of natural forests has never happened before. Therefore, when we learned about the incident, we were also surprised why these two subjects had to sneak into the forest, cross the mountains so far to destroy the forest; and asked why they did such an action. But we still could not explain it. Perhaps, we need more time, waiting for the conclusion of the investigation agency. Currently, the commune and 3 forest owners in the area are focusing on propaganda among the people, especially in the hamlets, villages, and residential areas living near the forest. So that people understand, do not negatively impact the forest, leading to violations of the law…”.
Listening to the discussion of Party Secretary Chau Cuong, I suddenly thought of the fact that for many years in Quy Hop district, there have been some residential areas that have had quite fierce conflicts with forestry farms, causing disputes over forestry land; there are places that are still "hot spots" that have not been thoroughly resolved. It is more necessary to clarify the causes and purposes of the subjects who carry out the acts of forest destruction. Because only when the causes and purposes of forest destruction are clarified, can effective solutions for forest protection be proposed...