(Baonghean.vn) - Many coastal protection forests in Quynh Nghia and Quynh Minh communes, Quynh Luu district are being cut down, leading to the risk of bank erosion when the tide rises.
 |
Many areas of casuarina forests in Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district were broken by storm No. 2. People were allowed to cut down all the casuarinas, but some people took advantage of cutting down casuarinas that had not fallen yet. The casuarina forests were interwoven, creating strong "green belts" to protect the tidal flats from the waves, but now they are being cut down along with the ones broken by the storm, posing unpredictable consequences. Photo: Van Truong |
 |
Mr. To Duy Hien - Chairman of Quynh Nghia Commune People's Committee said: The commune has over 4.6 hectares of protective casuarina forest outside the dike and over 30 hectares of casuarina production forest. Previously, the commune assigned people to invest their own capital to plant on production forest land and protective forest, so management was difficult. Many households thought that if they planted, they could cut and sell. For a long time, the commune has been mobilizing and propagating to people about the meaning of protective forests to protect the coast, but it still seems difficult. In the photo: Some Quynh Nghia residents use chainsaws to cut casuarina on production forest land. Photo: Van Truong |
 |
| According to local people, casuarina trees were planted about 20 years ago to protect the coast, block waves, wind and prevent "sandstorms"; when they were cut down, they were mainly sold as firewood for fish drying furnaces, alcohol distillers and industrial fuels at cheap prices, each casuarina tree sold for 80,000 - 120,000 VND. In the photo: One of the casuarina trees with a diameter of nearly 40 cm on production forest land in Quynh Nghia commune was just cut down. Photo: Van Truong |
 |
| Currently, the casuarina forest is being cut down, and public opinion is concerned about the long-term consequences because the cut down casuarina forest has the function of protection, wind protection, sand protection, and prevention of coastal erosion. In the photo: People are cutting down casuarina forest on the production land area in Quynh Nghia. Photo: Van Truong |
 |
| Many areas of casuarina forests are mainly reclaimed and planted by people themselves, so they "carelessly" exploit them. Therefore, to ensure the rights of those who plant and care for coastal casuarina forests, there must be a support plan to require people to hand them over to the state for management. Some seniors in coastal villages said: To have the current casuarina forest, people had to plant and care for it for over 20 years. To restore it, replanting also takes the same amount of time. The current destruction of many areas of protective forests will cause many unpredictable environmental consequences. In the photo: People transport newly cut casuarinas. Photo: Van Truong |
 |
Mr. Tran Duy Dat - Head of Technical Department of Quynh Luu Protective Forest Management Board, said: Quynh Luu has nearly 100 hectares of protective casuarina area. Storms No. 2 and No. 10 caused many areas to fall down. After inspection, the Board had a record of the field inspection and allowed the fallen trees to be harvested. According to regulations, protective forests have the right to exploit appropriately, for example, 20% can be exploited but must also be replanted. However, whether the forest is invested by the State or the people, when exploiting, it must follow the correct procedures. Specifically, there must be a dossier approving the exploitation design, appraisal, and submission to the functional unit for permission before exploitation. Meanwhile, the protective forest is casuarina in Quynh Luu, planted by small households, so making a dossier approving the exploitation design is very difficult. The current situation of people exploiting protective forests can be said to be wrong. Photo: Van Truong |
Van Truong
