Thanh Chuong directed to handle information about displaying signs 'no filming, no photography' to exploit forests

A group of people in Nghe An set up a checkpoint and displayed a sign 'no filming or taking photos' to illegally exploit the forest.

(Baonghean.vn) - The group confessed to having exploited and transported out of the forest 4 times with a total amount of wood of more than 20 m3. The above amount of wood was sold to civil wood production facilities, fuel use, and tea drying kilns in Thanh Chuong district (Nghe An).

On July 30, 2019, Baonghean.vn reported: "A group of people in Nghe An set up a checkpoint and displayed a sign saying "No filming or photography" to illegally exploit forests" in Sub-area 996, Thanh An commune, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province.

On August 2, 2019, Thanh Chuong District People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 269/BC-UBND reporting as follows:

Nghe An Electronic Newspaper reported that the illegal logging incident in Thanh An commune is well-founded. This is the area of ​​forest that was burned before, about 2.3 hectares, according to the forestry land allocation map 163 and the Land Use Rights Certificate, this area is a production forest (RST) located on plots 28, 33 and 34, Sub-area 996, Thanh An commune, assigned to 3 households for management and use. At the scene, 39 tree stumps were found, with diameters ranging from 15 - 37cm (only the stumps remained, no forest products were found at the scene).

4 illegal loggers were arrested.

Measuring the amount of wood transported on the car seized by the Environmental Police Department, Nghe An Provincial Police from the illegal logging case, the results showed 335 round logs, with an average length of 1.1m, an average diameter of 14cm, a volume of 5.546 m3, wood types from group 6 to group 8 (văng trung, trầu, Thôi Thôi, bụt Bạc...).

In the face of the above situation, on July 31, 2019, comrade Nguyen Van Que - Chairman of the District People's Committee chaired a meeting to handle issues related to forest exploitation in Thanh An commune. Attending the meeting were comrades: Trinh Van Nha - Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee; Le Dinh Thanh - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee; Head of the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Heads of the Departments: Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, leaders of the District Police; Head and Deputy Head of the District Forest Protection Department; comrade Chairman of the Commune People's Committee and land officials, forestry officers of Thanh An commune.

On the same day, the District People's Committee issued Notice No. 167/TB - UBND on the conclusion of Comrade Nguyen Van Que - Chairman of the District People's Committee at the working session to handle the issues raised by the press related to deforestation in Thanh An commune for relevant sectors and units to know and organize implementation.

Authorities examine the scene.

In which, the Chairman of the District People's Committee requested:

1 - To Thanh An Commune People's Committee:

- Report the incident of illegal logging in Sub-zone 996 to the District People's Committee. At the same time, self-check, review, proactively detect, and take measures to strengthen State management of forest land use management and forest exploitation effectively and in accordance with the law.

- Organize and implement well the propaganda work, guide and direct forest owners to commit to the Commune People's Committee in managing, protecting and developing forest capital, not arbitrarily changing the purpose of use, transferring and illegally exploiting forests.

- Organize a review meeting to clarify the responsibilities of relevant groups and individuals in the laxity of State management, allowing forest fires and illegal forest exploitation to occur, and send the documents to the District People's Committee through the Department of Internal Affairs for consideration.

2 - For District Forest Protection Department:

- Strengthen patrolling and inspection work, grasp the area, closely coordinate with local authorities and forest owners, promptly detect and prevent cases of arbitrary conversion of forest land use purposes, illegal forest transfer and exploitation, and strictly handle violations.

- Organize a review meeting to clarify the responsibility of local forest rangers in the delay in reporting the incident to the leaders of the Forest Protection Department for handling.

3 - District police:

Strengthen the work of grasping the grassroots, directing the local police and the Commune Police Department to proactively detect acts of illegal exploitation, transportation, and trading of natural resources, minerals, and forest products. Establish special projects, investigate, prosecute, and strictly handle violations.

4 - District Internal Affairs Department:

Direct the People's Committee of Thanh An commune to organize a review meeting to clarify the responsibilities of the collective and individuals for allowing the above illegal logging to occur. Advise the District People's Committee to handle the matter according to the provisions of the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants.

Currently, this case is being further investigated by the Environmental Police Department of Nghe An Province Police to handle according to the provisions of law.