Que Phong Forest Cries for Help

(Baonghean) - Numerous logs lie scattered along the roadside and even in the forest trails; illegal loggers brazenly transport timber in broad daylight... This is what we observed after a day traveling up the road from Phu Phuong intersection to Dong Van and Thong Thu. The Que Phong forest is being openly exploited by illegal loggers.

Illegal loggers brazenly transport timber in broad daylight.

On March 30th and 31st, we traveled along the main road from Phu Phuong intersection in Tien Phong commune to the border with Thong Thu commune. This stretch of road is about 20 km long, and along both sides of the road, freshly cut logs lay scattered haphazardly.

Numerous trails lead into the forest, and there are plenty of logs with diameters exceeding 30 cm and lengths of 3 meters. Occasionally, one encounters men carrying logging tools, following large buffaloes, dragging planks of rosewood and teak from deep within the forest. Even more horrifying is the fact that illegal loggers use motorcycles to transport these long logs, over 3 meters in length, speeding along paved roads in broad daylight without any intervention from law enforcement.

At 11:00 AM on March 31st, we decided to follow a motorbike carrying three planks of wood, each about 3 meters long and 30 centimeters wide, traveling along the road from Dong Van commune down to Phu Phuong intersection. The man driving the motorbike swerved erratically as he dodged other vehicles. At the top of a small slope, he suddenly turned right into a house by the roadside, about 1 kilometer away from the Tien Phong commune's central Forest Ranger Station. Stopping at the Forest Ranger Station, we observed that the door was open, but no forest rangers were on duty.

According to information from some locals, illegal loggers stockpile timber in this area daily, intending to smuggle it out when the opportunity arises. Their method involves hiring trucks at night to collect timber from storage locations in Thong Thu, Dong Van, and Tien Phong, then transporting it to Kim Son town or Phu Phuong intersection. Afterward, timber dealers find ways to transport it further south. A truck driver named H told us that he used to transport timber at night for timber dealers from Dong Van and Thong Thu to Kim Son town. They paid him 2-3 million dong per night for each trip.

Many residents of Tien Phong commune have reported that recently, illegal loggers have been using motorbikes to transport timber along the road from Thong Thu, Dong Van to Phu Phuong intersection, causing numerous accidents for road users. Around dusk, dozens of men and women ride motorbikes carrying large, long planks of wood, speeding along the road. They disregard traffic laws, and many people have been hospitalized due to being hit by the timber.

Are the forest rangers powerless?

In a discussion with Mr. Nguyen Trong Le, Head of the Que Phong District Forest Protection Department, regarding the current situation of illegal logging and transportation of timber in Thong Thu, Dong Van, and Tien Phong communes, Mr. Le stated that the timber scattered along the main roads leading to Dong Van and Thong Thu communes could not be definitively identified. It could be illegally harvested timber, or it could be timber that residents were permitted to harvest for house construction. To determine the nature of the timber, relevant authorities and the government must conduct thorough inspections. Currently, Que Phong district is focusing its efforts on the resettlement of people displaced by the Hua Na Hydropower Project, allowing many households to harvest timber for housing. However, Mr. Le also affirmed that illegal loggers are taking advantage of this situation to illegally harvest timber, and furthermore, families may exploit the situation to harvest more timber. Mr. Lang Van Tuan, Chairman of the Dong Van Commune People's Committee, also confirmed that many illegal loggers have exploited residents to illegally harvest timber when the State allows people to harvest timber for house construction.

The forest trails, particularly the sections passing through Dong Van and Thong Thu, are littered with logs.

This means that the blatant logging and transportation of timber in broad daylight by illegal loggers demonstrates the "powerlessness" of the forest rangers. A forest ranger shared with us that he knows the loggers transport timber by motorbike, but it's very difficult to deal with them because most of them are drug addicts, very reckless, and ready to confront the rangers. If pursued by the forest rangers, they cut the ropes securing the timber, causing it to fall onto the road and injure the rangers.

However, some residents living near the forest area asserted to us that if the forest rangers had done their job properly, such large logs could not have been removed from the forest. The residents believe that at this rate, it won't be long before the protective forests of Que Phong are completely exploited by illegal loggers, and the forest cover will be severely reduced. Looking at the figures the forest rangers have handled so far, it's clear that illegal logging is rampant in the district. Since the beginning of the year, the Que Phong Forest Ranger Station has discovered and confiscated 130 cubic meters of various types of wood. This is only the number that has been processed; in reality, the amount of illegally logged wood is much larger.

Conclusion

In Que Phong recently, the media has reported extensively on the rampant illegal logging and transportation of timber, demonstrating the laxness of forest protection efforts in the area. While acknowledging the difficulties and hardships faced by forest rangers due to limited personnel, vast forest areas, and increasingly sophisticated illegal logging methods, this should not be a deterrent. Forest rangers need to cooperate with local authorities to implement decisive measures to prevent illegal logging.

Thai Nguyen An